Neurology

ADAPT trial update: NSAIDs in AD

December 14, 2011

The Alzheimer’s Disease Anti-Inflammatory Prevention Trial (ADAPT) was launched a decade ago to determine if an NSAID (naproxen 220 mg BID or celecoxib 200 mg BID) could delay the onset of AD (ADAPT Research Group et al. Alzheimers Dement 2009; 5: 93-104; free full text at www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2866447/pdf/nihms185404.pdf). The trial was suspended in 2004 following the finding from the Adenoma Prevention with Celecoxib (APC) trial of an increased cardiovascular risk with celecoxib (Solomon et al. N Engl J Med 2005; 352: 1071-1080; free full text at www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa050405).

Indeed, data from ADAPT subsequently suggested an increased cardiovascular and cerebrovascular risk with celecoxib and naproxen (ADAPT Research Group. PLoS Clin Trials 2006; 1: e33; free full text at www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1851724/pdf/pctr.0010033.pdf).

Emerging MS therapies: update on injectable drugs

November 30, 2011

REPORT FROM THE 25^TH CONGRESS OF THE EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR TREATMENT AND RESEARCH IN MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS (ECTRIMS) – AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS, OCTOBER 19-22, 2011 – Late-breaking sessions at ECTRIMS 2011 presented phase III data for two novel MS therapies administered by injection/infusion.

CONFIRM – Second phase III trial results for BG-12

November 30, 2011

REPORT FROM THE 25^TH CONGRESS OF THE EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR TREATMENT AND RESEARCH IN MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS (ECTRIMS) – AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS, OCTOBER 19-22, 2011 – Just days after ECTRIMS, top-line results from the second of two phase III trials of BG-12 were announced in a press release (www.biogenidec.com/PRESS_RELEASE_DETAILS.aspx?ID=5981&ReqId=1621631) and in a webcast to investors (www.biogenidec.com/investors.aspx?ID=5494).

No benefit with simvastatin add-on therapy in MS

November 9, 2011

The most recent results from the SIMCOMBIN trial of combined beta-interferon and simvastatin, an HMG CoA reductase inhibitor, indicate that there is no beneficial effect with add-on therapy (Sorensen et al. Lancet Neurol 2011; 10: 691-701).

No effect of cholesterol reduction on AD measures

November 9, 2011

A number of early reports suggested that the risk of AD was reduced in patients taking an HMG CoA reductase inhibitor (statin) (Wolozin et al. Arch Neurol 2000; 57: 1439-1443, free full text at http://archneur.ama-assn.org/cgi/reprint/57/10/1439; Rockwood et al. Arch Neurol 2002; 59: 223-227, free full text at http://archneur.ama-assn.org/cgi/reprint/59/2/223).

A rationale was that statins reduced beta-amyloid formation in the CNS (Fassbender et al. PNAS USA 2001; 98: 5856-5861, free full text at www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC33303/pdf/pq005856.pdf; Sjogren et al. Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord 2003; 16: 25-30).

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