According to the Alzheimer's Association, there are over five million Americans suffering from AD. There is no cure for AD; however, there are currently six FDA-approved drugs to treat its symptoms. Most of these drugs work by preventing the formation of amyloid plaques in the brain. Since lecithin is commonly used in drug formulation, scientists investigated whether it had any beneficial qualities for their patients. The result of their research was a drug called lecithin cholinergic transfer factor (LC-FTF), which was developed for use in patients with delayed progression of Alzheimer's. Subsequent clinical trials on lecithin showed that it reduced amyloid accumulation in the brain. These trials also confirmed that lecithin could reduce brain damage and improve memory function in patients with leprosy. Consequently, researchers abandoned development of LC-FTF and shifted their focus to developing a drug to treat Alzheimer's disease.
In 2002, researchers at Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceuticals developed a drug called lecithin muramyl tripeptide (LMT) for use in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's. The drug was approved by the FDA in 2005 as the first drug to treat symptoms of Alzheimer's. There were many significant benefits of this drug compared to LC-FTF. For one, LMT quickly reduced amyloid accumulation by binding to thiols in the brains of mice with Alzheimer's. In addition, the drug enhanced memory function and slowed the progression of cognitive decline in mice with Alzheimer's. However, there were some limitations of this drug that discouraged its widespread use. For one, LMT is only effective if administered intravenously since it doesn't readily enter the brain through other routes of administration. Another limitation is that LMT has a low bioavailability; therefore, it can't effectively treat symptoms in patients with liver damage or other health problems that negatively affect liver function. Therefore, researchers have shifted their focus back to LC-FTF and will soon have effective treatment for Alzheimer's disease users based on this former leprosy drug!
0 Comments