“By the age of 80, one in three people develops Alzheimer’s. I’m trying to move the curve to 85 or 90 or maybe beyond.”
A novel Alzheimer’s disease treatment now in advanced Phase 3 clinical trials could also prove effective in treating lung inflammation caused by Covid-19.
The investigational therapy, ALZT-OP1, suppresses the immune system’s production of cytokines
The investigational therapy, ALZT-OP1, suppresses the immune system’s production of cytokines — proteins that trigger inflammation in a natural response to infection.
A “cytokine storm” caused by an overzealous immune response plays a role in neuroinflammatory diseases such as Alzheimer’s, and in infectious diseases such as Covid-19 and influenza.
“When we have too much virus in our lungs, our immune system starts reacting by activating cytokines to bombard the virus,” explains Israeli-born Harvard Medical School associate professor and serial medical entrepreneur David Elmaleh, scientific founder and CEO of AZTherapies.
“But the number of cytokinesis is so high it causes inflammation of the lung and that can be dangerous. Our drug would slow the cytokine release and allow other treatments to work,” he tells ISRAEL21c.
AZTherapies was founded in 2011 with $2 million from some of Elmaleh’s previous Israeli investors.
The startup has now raised over $100 million and is building collaborations with Israeli institutions to commercialize the treatment after its expected FDA approval next year.-- More...
ISRAEL21c was founded in 2001, in the wake of the Second Intifada, to broaden public understanding of Israel beyond typical portrayals in the mainstream media.
The organization’s founders – Israeli-American technology executives – understood the great power of the Internet and developed a first-of-its kind online product with global appeal and reach.
