The Alzheimer's community got a boost at the end of October when Biogen (NASDAQ: BIIB) announced it would file for approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for aducanumab, its Alzheimer's disease drug. This caught patients and investors off guard since Biogen scrapped the program back in March due to lack of efficacy. The new analysis showed that early-stage patients receiving high doses of the drug slowed down the rate of cognitive decline.
Shortly after Biogen's announcement, Chinese regulators surprised the world by giving conditional approval to a new drug for Alzheimer's disease made by Shanghai Green Valley Pharmaceuticals. The drug, which is derived from seaweed, improved cognitive function by interacting with the gut microbiome, a collection of over 1,000 microorganisms, like bacteria and fungi, located in the stomach and intestines and responsible for digestion, brain health, and controlling the immune system. Detailed results from the 800 patient clinical trial have yet to be released, resulting in a high degree of skepticism.
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