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News Releases / Full Story

July 21, 2008

Local Study Helps Pioneer Future Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease

Dean Foundation Seeks Patients to Participate

Dean Foundation is now enrolling patients in the CONNECTION study, a new late-stage clinical study that will evaluate the safety and efficacy of the investigational drug Dimebon™ as a treatment for mild-to-moderate Alzheimer ’s disease.

“New therapies are desperately needed to more effectively treat the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease,” says Dean Foundation Executive & Medical Director Leslie Taylor, MD. “The results of a previous study of Dimebon in Alzheimer’s disease were promising. That is why we are encouraging local patients and caregivers to learn more about this new trial. ”

The CONNECTION study will enroll 525 patients in the United States – as well as sites in Europe and South America – to test the effects of Dimebon in patients with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s disease. Dean Foundation is one of the only study sites in the Midwest. Patients age 50 and older who are not taking any other Alzheimer’s prescription medications may be eligible for the six-month study. Patients will randomly be chosen to receive either Dimebon or placebo (sugar pill), which does not contain active medicine. After six months of treatment, all patients – including those receiving placebo – will be offered the opportunity to receive Dimebon in an extension trial until it is available on the market.

As the baby boomer population ages, the incidence of Alzheimer’s disease is expected to increase dramatically. New estimates from the Alzheimer’s Association show more than 5 million people in the United States are already living with the disease, which destroys brain cells and affects memory, cognition, judgment, language and behavior. Currently available therapies for Alzheimer’s treat the symptoms with modest effect, and there is no evidence that these medications slow or stop the progression.

Dimebon targets Alzheimer’s disease differently than currently available therapies. Mitochondria (a cell’s primary source of energy) are the target of Dimebon's mechanism of action. In a previous study, patients treated with the drug showed significant improvement over patients treated with placebo in each of the five most important aspects of Alzheimer’s: memory, thinking, behavior, activities of daily living (such as eating) and overall function. The CONNECTION study is designed to confirm these results.

For more information on eligibility and enrollment, visit www.dean.org. To arrange an interview with Dr. Taylor, contact Communications Manager Melissa Wollering at (608) 250-1504.