Gantenerumab reduces amyloid levels in patients with Alzheimer's Disease

According to a report in Archives of Neurology, patients with Alzheimer's Disease who received gantenerumab, from Roche,in a Phase 1 study, exhibited reductions in brain amyloid levels. Ex vivo experiments show that gantenerumab, a human anti-A� monoclonal antibody, induces phagocytosis of human amyloid and the aim of the study was to determine whether the drug might impact A� amyloid brain levels. After two to seven months of treatment with gantenerumab, the researchers found a dose-dependent amyloid reduction while in placebo-treated patients with mild-to-moderate AD, the amyloid load continues to increase. See "Mechanism of Amyloid Removal in Patients With Alzheimer Disease Treated With Gantenerumab" Arch Neurol. (Published online October 10, 2011. doi:10.1001/archneurol.2011.1538)