New Study Finds Evidence That Taking a Statin Drug Can Help Treat Alzheimer’s Disease
Nymox – NASDAQ:NYMX Has Global Patent Rights for Statin Drugs for the Treatment and Prevention of Alzheimer’s Disease
Further evidence that statin drugs may help in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease has been provided by a prospective double blind study of Alzheimer’s disease patients published in the current issue of the Archives of Neurology (May, 2005; 62:753-7). Researchers led by Dr. Larry Sparks at the Sun Health Research Institute in Arizona found evidence that a daily dose of atorvastatin (Lipitor(R)) could help slow the progressive deterioration of mental function and behavior usually found in mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease patients. According to the authors, this encouraging evidence provided a proof of concept for much larger studies which are currently ongoing.
Nymox Pharmaceutical Corporation (NASDAQ:NYMX) holds U.S. and global patent rights for the use of statin drugs for the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, the leading cause of dementia in the elderly, afflicting an estimated 4.5 million people in the U.S. alone. Statins are widely prescribed cholesterol-lowering drugs with a good safety profile and with estimated global sales of up to $26 billion last year.
The potential for the use of statin drugs to treat or reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease has been featured extensively in the media such as New York Times (April 13, 2004), Fortune magazine (August 9, 2004), Newsweek magazine (Jan 19, 2004), Los Angeles Times (June 22, 2003), and The Wall Street Journal (April 17 and 18, 2002).
Other scientific and clinical studies have showed the potential benefits of statin drugs in the prevention or treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. Studies have shown up to 70% reduction in AD incidence in individuals who use statin drugs. In addition to recent studies presented at major medical conferences, published peer-reviewed studies include, for example, International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry 2004; 19:327-32; Neuroepidemiology 2004; 23:94-8; Neuron 2004; 41:7-10; Arch Neurol 2000; 57:1439-1443; Lancet 2000; 356:1627-1631; Arch Neurol 2002; 59:223-227; J Gerontol Biol Sci Med Sci 2002;57:M414-M418; and J Am Geriatr Soc 2002;50:1852-1856.
Physicians are increasingly aware of the potential use of statins for Alzheimer’s disease. A recent survey of clinicians in England showed that 47% of them favored the use of statins for treating patients at risk for developing cognitive impairment and dementia due to vascular risk factors according to a new study published in the Journal of Neurological Sciences (March 2005; 229-230: 147-150). “Statins: The Emerging Indications” was a lead story in the September 13 2004 issue of Physician’s Weekly, a weekly medical news publication widely distributed to major American hospitals and estimated to be read by over 200,000 physicians. The story reviewed the epidemiological evidence suggesting that statins, a class of widely prescribed cholesterol-lowering drugs, can reduce risk of Alzheimer’s disease and possibly slow its progression.
Nymox Pharmaceutical Corporation is a biotechnology company engaged in the research and development of therapeutics and diagnostics, with a particular emphasis on products targeted for the unmet needs of the aging population. Currently Nymox has three products on the market, and a healthy pipeline of drug and diagnostic products. The Company also has several hundred patents and patent applications. Nymox has developed AlzheimAlert(TM), a U.S. CLIA-certified test to aid in the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. The Company has successfully completed two U.S. Phase 1 and Phase 1-2 clinical trials for NX-1207, its drug for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). The Company markets NicAlert(TM) and TobacAlert(TM) tests for measuring tobacco product exposure. Nymox has a number of drugs in development for Alzheimer’s disease, oncology, and infectious disease.
More information about Nymox is available at www.nymox.com, email: info@nymox.com, or 800-936-9669.
This press release contains certain “forward-looking statements” as defined in the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and the actual results and future events could differ materially from management’s current expectations. Such factors are detailed from time to time in Nymox’s filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and other regulatory authorities.