Alzheimer’s drug can cure Huntington’s, finds study

The research conducted by the University of Rochester, and funded by Medivation Inc. and Pfizer Inc. found that latrepirdine drug used to cure hay fever about three decades ago, could stabilize mitochondria-- the power source of brain and other cells, thus improvising the mental state of Huntington’s patients.

Karl Kieburtz, professor of neurology, University of Rochester and lead author of the study said, “It is really a shot in the arm for us. There is a suggestion of efficacy and that, along with the fact there had been improvement in cognition in Alzheimer’s patients in a prior trial in Russia, has led us to think there might be something here.”

Over 25,000 Americans are suffering from the Huntington’s disease currently, and about 60,000 have a probability of succumbing to it in future due to defective genes.

Details of the study
The research team conducted the study for over 90 days on 91 Huntington’s patients to come up with this finding.

The team administered three daily doses of the drug to half of the subjects, and the other half was given a placebo.

The team then conducted a mental ability test called the Mini-Mental State Examination, and patients were asked about the current year, and where they were, along with counting backward, and trying to recollect recently heard words.

Results of the study
The team found that the drug made no difference to the motor function; but showed improvement in the mental test.

About 70 percent of the subjects receiving the drug faced side-effects, but 80 percent of the ones receiving a placebo also had some adverse effects, the researchers found.

They also confirmed an up gradation of 0.86 points on the 30-point scale for the patients receiving the drug, while those on placebo showed 0.12 point fall.

Details of the study appear in Archives of Neurology.

What is Huntington’s disease?
Huntington’s is an incurable neurodegenerative genetic disorder that affects cognitive functions, and is illustrated by chorea-- abnormal involuntary neurological movements, loss of control over physical functions, and progressive degeneration of thought processes.

Though, the disorder can develop at any time, it becomes recognizable between 35 and 44 years of age.

The only drug approved for Huntington’s was tetrabenazine, which improves chorea but brings no improvement in the mental faculties.