Studies show Prana compound may improve cognition

Professor Ashley Bush, of the Mental Health Research Institute of Victoria, Australia and co-founding scientist of Prana, presented data on PBT2 at the 10th International Conference on Alzheimer’s disease (ICAD) in Madrid.

Research findings included that, in mouse models, PBT2 improved memory performance within five days of oral dosing, rapidly reduced the levels of soluble beta-amyloid (Abeta) in the brain, and restored normal function to Abeta impaired synapses.

In studies conducted by Professor Bush and his colleagues using the Morris Water Maze Test, it was demonstrated that PBT2 could quickly and significantly improve spatial memory – an important barometer of cognitive function – in seven-month old transgenic amyloid mice, which are a model for Alzheimer’s disease.

In addition, Professor Bush referenced studies he and colleagues performed on 15-month old transgenic Alzheimer’s mice treated with 30mg/kg PBT2, which showed the drug reduced soluble Abeta40 and Abeta42 levels by 60% within 24 hours of oral PBT2 administration.

Professor Bush also presented mechanistic findings showing that PBT2 blocks the copper-dependent formation of amyloid oligomers, considered by many to be the toxic chemical entity leading to brain damage in Alzheimer’s disease.

“This data is compelling and very exciting because it shows that PBT2 not only may facilitate the clearance of Abeta from the brain or prevent its production, but more importantly may improve cognition,” stated Professor Bush. “On the basis of the multiple encouraging results achieved to date, demonstrating that PBT2 has a rapid and potent mechanism of action, Prana is initiating a phase II, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of PBT2 in Alzheimer’s patients.”

Safety studies in animals and healthy humans (phase single and multiple dose) have already indicated that PBT2 is well tolerated at doses proposed for Alzheimer’s treatment.