TauRx Pharmaceuticals Ltd, a global leader in Alzheimer’s disease research focusing on tau proteins, has applied for permission to sell a new drug in the UK. The drug, hydromethylthionine mesylate (HMTM), aims to treat mild cognitive impairment and early to moderate stages of Alzheimer’s dementia.
The UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has designated HMTM under an Innovative Licensing and Access Pathway. If approved, this could make HMTM the first accessible oral treatment in the UK that targets tau proteins, which are linked to Alzheimer’s disease.
The application is based on evidence from a recent 24-month study called LUCIDITY, as well as earlier phase 3 trials. These studies consistently showed that HMTM can slow down cognitive decline, help with daily activities, and reduce brain shrinkage in Alzheimer’s patients.
Tau proteins are known to contribute to the worsening of Alzheimer’s symptoms and the death of nerve cells in the brain. HMTM works by stopping tau proteins from clumping together in brain cells. It also has another effect that improves brain function.
Professor Claude Wischik, from TauRx, said that this milestone is significant for their efforts to bring new hope to Alzheimer’s patients and their families.
Founded in 2002 in Singapore, TauRx has been working closely with the University of Aberdeen in the UK to develop treatments for Alzheimer’s and other diseases linked to tau protein buildup in the brain.