Bapineuzumab EXPERT OPINION ON BIOLOGICAL THERAPY Kerchner, G. A., Boxer, A. L. 2010; 10 (7): 1121-1130

Abstract

Alzheimer's disease is the leading cause of dementia in the elderly, and there is no disease-modifying therapy yet available. Immunotherapy directed against the beta-amyloid peptide may be capable of slowing the rate of disease progression. Bapineuzumab, an anti-beta-amyloid monoclonal antibody, will be the first such agent to emerge from Phase III clinical trials.The primary literature on bapineuzumab from 2009 and 2010 is reviewed in its entirety, along with the literature on AN1792, a first-generation anti-beta-amyloid vaccine, from 2003 to 2009. Other Alzheimer's disease immunotherapeutics currently in development, according to www.clinicaltrials.gov , are also discussed.In addition to a critical appraisal of the Phase II trial results for bapineuzumab, this review considers the broader field of immunotherapy for Alzheimer's disease as a whole, including the challenges ahead.Bapineuzumab appears capable of reducing the cerebral beta-amyloid peptide burden in patients with Alzheimer's disease. However, particularly in APOE 4 carriers, its ability to slow disease progression remains uncertain, and vasogenic edema - a dose-limiting and potentially severe adverse reaction - may limit its clinical applicability.

View details for DOI 10.1517/14712598.2010.493872

View details for Web of Science ID 000280190800010

View details for PubMedID 20497044

View details for PubMedCentralID PMC3000430