Pipex test confirms copper involvement in Alzheimer’s disease

In the clinical study, 52 frozen samples taken from Alzheimer’s disease patients and age-matched controls, with an average age of 70 years were analyzed on a blinded basis for levels of serum free copper using the FreeBound diagnostic device. A 70% increase in free serum copper was detected in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients versus age-matched controls.

Additionally, percent-free copper detected was also statistically significantly higher in AD patients than age matched controls. The percent of free serum copper is the amount of free serum copper expressed as a percent of total serum copper. These samples were provided by the Oregon Alzheimer’s disease center.

Steve Kanzer, chairman and CEO of Pipex, said: “The purpose of this study is to build upon and confirm free copper’s involvement in Alzheimer’s disease. These results, along with our recent results using Coprexa, our lead anti-copper molecule which reduced insoluble amyloid-beta, a key AD protein by 40% in animal models, provides additional basis for further testing of this approach in this important CNS-localized disease.

“Our FreeBound diagnostic device should allow clinicians to pre-select patients with elevated levels of CNS copper who might benefit from copper-reduction therapy.”