Trial to See Whether ACE Inhibitors, ARBs Limit Severity of Alzheimer's

GenoMed, Inc. is launching a clinical trial to test whether ACE inhibitors or angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) can limit the serverity of Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases.

All of the neurological diseases in the trial involve oxidative stress and loss of nerve cells due to cell suicide. Angiotensin II adds significantly to a cell's oxidative stress by stimulating production of oxygen free radicals in the cell's mitochondria.

A logical way to reduce oxidative stress for neurons is to use an ACE inhibitor or ARB. These two drug classes have been used quite safely in hundreds of millions of patients for a number of years.

The St. Louis-based company is now recruiting volunteers interested in trying to prevent or delay neurodegenerative illnesses. Volunteers will have to gain the cooperation of thier local physician to participate.

Depending on their blood pressure, volunteers will be prescribed either a hydrophobic ACE inhibitor or an ARB by their own physician. GenoMed will then follow the progress of the trial participants.

If the treatment approach works as expected, the severity of disease should be reduced among volunteers relative to non-participants, according to GenoMed. Volunteers will receive free use of the treatment for the life of the company's patent.

Other soures: GenoMed, Inc.