Clipping Alzheimer's at the start

Efforts to treat the underlying causes of Alzheimer's disease have shifted from trying to dissolve plaques toward slowing down formation of beta amyloid, which is believed to be crucial for disease progression. However, Probiodrug AG thinks that it is the intracellular formation of N-terminally modified beta amyloid peptides that is responsible for the early neurodegenerative steps, not beta amyloid overproduction and secretion.

Last week, the company published in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry the synthesis of novel compounds that interfere with the formation of these species...