New treatment options for Alzheimer’s and skin cancer: These innovations give hope to patients

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2023 was a strong year for innovative new medicines. Progress has been made in the fight against Alzheimer’s, obesity and sickle cell anemia.

What will it look like in 2024? Numerous publications, including specialist journals “Nature Medicine” and “Time Magazine”, have examined the question of which clinical trials can be implemented this year. Blick presents the top hopefuls.

Pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly has achieved promising results with its drug Donanemab. It is used to treat Alzheimer’s disease and slow cognitive decline in patients. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will decide on approval in the coming weeks.

Former football player Kay Voser (36) recently made headlines with his confession of schizophrenia. For the first time in years, a new drug for the treatment of schizophrenia is planned to be approved in 2024. Karuna Therapeutics improved existing antipsychotics and, according to studies, managed to reduce the extreme symptoms of the disease.

There is still no vaccine against AIDS; At least those who are sick can live a normal life thanks to medicine. US company Vir Biotechnology now wants to use a new vector vaccine to activate certain T cells of the immune system aimed at preventing the disease AIDS. The study of this vaccine is in its early stages.

The study results of Sweden’s Lund University, which is trying to improve the treatment of Parkinson’s disease at an early stage using stem cell therapy, are expected to be ready by the end of 2024.

Black skin cancer is increasingly spreading. That’s why there are efforts in immunotherapy, for example in combination therapy: with ipilimumab and nivolumab, two antibodies are used for treatment instead of a single antibody. The leading Dutch cancer institute wants to present the first results in 2024.

To date, no vaccine has been made against malaria, only preventive drug treatment (prophylaxis) has been given. Oxford University introduced two malaria vaccines in 2023. The R21 drug in particular appears to be effective, while the Mosquirix drug prevents only 55 percent of serious disease and is only about a third as effective after just four years. Groundbreaking tests will be carried out in various African countries this year. The plan is to create an approved drug that would provide lifelong protection at low cost ($3-$4).

After approving the drug Casgevy for sickle cell anemia, the US health agency is now testing the same treatment for beta thalassemia, another genetic blood disorder. With both diseases, those affected have abnormal blood cells that cannot carry enough oxygen.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is also coming into play. Tests are ongoing in the Netherlands with artificial intelligence, which evaluates patients in the emergency room and thus determines treatment priority according to the calculated risk of death. The first results are promising.

Source :Blick