Revolutionary Alzheimer's drug eliminates disease-causing proteins.

A new drug called BIIB080 has been found to remove harmful proteins linked to Alzheimer's disease by lowering levels of tau protein with a 'gene silencing' approach. In an early-stage trial, patients with mild Alzheimer's who received the highest dose of the drug had a 50% reduction in levels of tau in their central nervous system after 24 weeks with no serious side-effects. A phase 2 trial of the drug is currently aiming to enroll 700 people, and further studies will be vital to see this treatment approach reach the clinic.