Nymox Has Global Patent Rights For Statin Drugs For The Treatment And Prevention Of Alzheimer's Disease

Main Category: Alzheimer's / Dementia
Also Included In: Statins;  Pharma Industry / Biotech Industry
Article Date: 04 Aug 2008 - 1:00 PDT

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Nymox Pharmaceutical Corporation (NASDAQ:NYMX) holds U.S. and global patent rights for the use of statin drugs for the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD), including for patients at risk for AD because of vascular-related risk factors or disease. An important new study has found that people who take statin drugs were about half as likely to develop dementia or clinically significant cognitive impairment as those who did not use statins (Neurology July 29, 2008; 71:344-355). Unlike earlier retrospective epidemiological studies, the University of Michigan study was specifically designed to include a prospective examination of the preventive effect of statins on the risk of dementia or cognitive impairment.

In the study, 1,674 older Mexican-Americans from the Sacramento CA area were evaluated for signs of memory loss or dementia on an annual basis over a five year period; individuals screened for possible dementia or cognitive impairment were referred to a team of specialist for a full work-up and diagnosis. Statin use was carefully monitored on a semi-annual basis, including an annual direct inspection of all prescription medication. The researchers found that statin use was associated with a significant reduction in the incidence of dementia and cognitive impairment. The risk of dementia or cognitive impairment was reduced by 42% for statin users without accounting for other major risk factors for dementia; when these factors (diabetes and stroke) were accounted for, the risk reduction for statin users was 48%.

Statins are widely used cholesterol-lowering drugs with a well-established track record of safety. They have an estimated global market over $25 billion and represent a potential new way of treating or preventing AD. Statin drug use has been shown to be associated with a lower risk of neuropathological changes in the brain of AD (Neurology 2007;69;878-885). AD is the leading cause of dementia in the elderly, afflicting an estimated 4.5 million people in the U.S.

This press release contains certain "forward-looking statements" as defined in the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and the actual results and future events could differ materially from management's current expectations. The conduct of clinical trials and the development of drug products involve substantial risks and uncertainties and actual results may differ materially from expectations. Promising early results do not ensure that later stage or larger scale clinical trials will be successful or will proceed as expected. Such factors are detailed from time to time in Nymox's filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and other regulatory authorities.

Nymox Pharmaceutical Corporation