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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).

CNS drug development: a pipeline of problems

November 9, 2011

New drug development in neurology and psychiatry is approaching a state of crisis due to the failure of numerous compounds in recent years, the cost of bringing new products to market, and pharmaceutical companies abandoning their CNS drug research programs, according to reports from the U.S. and Europe.

No benefits with omega-3 supplements

October 22, 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 – The Omega-3 fatty acid Treatment in MS (OFAMS) study reports that omega-3 dietary supplementation has no significant effect on disease activity (Torkildsen et al. ECTRIMS 2011; abstract P919).

Long-term safety of oral MS therapies: two reports

October 22, 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 – Data from phase II extension studies of fingolimod and teriflunomide indicate that long-term treatment with an oral MS therapy appears safe, with no new safety signals during the observation period.

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