This drug is pimavanserin, which is sold as Nuplazid by Acadia Pharmaceuticals Inc. It can curb delusions in people who suffer from Parkinson’s disease. It also did the same for people with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia in a clinical trial, which was stopped at an early stage as the drug’s benefit seemed clear. Pimavanserin could well become the first drug offered for treating dementia-related psychosis, should regulators agree. It could also be the first new medicine for Alzheimer’s in nearly two decades.
The daily pill targets some of the most troubling symptoms that patients and caregivers face — hallucinations that often lead to anxiety, aggression, and physical and verbal abuse.
“This would be a very important advance,” said one independent expert, Dr. Howard Fillit, chief science officer of the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation.
More details over at Los Angeles Times.
(Image Credit: Acadia Pharmaceuticals Inc. via Associated Press)