A current picture of drug development research targeting Aβ protein

Akihiko Iwai

Product and Portfolio Strategy, Astellas Pharma Inc.

Research and development of disease modifying drugs for Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been carried out based on “Aβ amyloid hypothesis” that soluble Aβ amyloid is considered to initiate AD pathology. The current approaches to it are to decrease total amount of Aβ or Aβ42, which is a more amyloidgenic peptide fragment, or to increase Aβ clearance by immune system enhancement with vaccine or anti-Aβ antibody. Although the effectiveness of the past anti-Aβ drugs has not been proved, it will be proved when appropriate ones are applied to the patients with Alzheimer's disease in the right phases of the disease. In addition, comprehensive understanding of the pathological cascade starting from Aβ pathology will open up new ways to treat Alzheimer's disease and put them in an entirely new perspective.

Address corespondence to Dr. Akihiko Iwai, Product and Portfolio Strategy, Astellas Pharma Inc.(2-3-11 Honcho, Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103-8411, Japan)