2025 will be the year, page-97

Aussie firm

WHO 'names' dementia treatment

ZoeSmith

A once-a-day pill that could be

the "holy grail" in the treat -

ment of Alzheimer's disease is

a step closer to reality after a

huge win for the Aussie firm

behind the potential wonder

drug.

The World Health Organisation

has granted Actinogen

Medical the nonproprietary

name, or generic name, "emestedastat"

for its new drug Xanamem.

The move recognises

Xanamem as the first drug

named in its class of enzyme inhibitors

targeting cortisol synthesis

in the brain.

It is a huge milestone for the

firm as few Australian-developed

drugs have achieved the

WHO's "first-in-class" designation.

Although it is not a cure,

Xanamem's ability to slow

down the course of Alzheimer's

disease and address cognitive

decline could offer new hope to

patients.

Positive results from two im-

portant phase two trials, which

focused on patients with cognitive

dysfunction and depression

and mild to moderate

Alzheimer's, have paved the

way for larger trials and it is

hoped final results will be available

next year.

Xanamem is specifically designed

to prevent the excess

production of cortisol in areas

of the brain most affected by

Alzheimer's disease.

This potential could extend

to other dementias such as

Lewy-Body disease, frontotemporal

dementia, and dementia

associated with

Parkinson's disease, Actinogen's

chief executive Professor

Steve Gourlay said.

Dr Gourlay said the firm's

nod from the WHO was "a

great Australian story".

"The WHO has a naming

process where you apply and

they give you a name, it's not

the brand name, it's the name

that will always be used for that

particular drug," he said.

"What's unique about our

situation is that in giving us the

new name, emestedastat, the

committee recognised that this

is the first of its class to ever be

named in this way."

Dr Gourlay said Actinogen

was bringing "a truly novel and

innovative therapy" to patients

and the hope was that the drug

would be applicable not just to

Alzheimer's but to other types

of dementia as well as potentially

Parkinson's, depression

and other related psychiatric

illnesses.

Alzheimer's disease, which

results in worsening symptoms

over a number of years, affected

411,100 Australians in 2023,

according to the Australian Institute

of Health and Welfare.

Actinogen adviser Associate

Professor Michael Woodward

said Xanamem "may offer

stabilisation and hopefully a

slower decline for people living

with dementia".

He said anything that could

safely assist to reduce the impact

of Alzheimer's disease was

"welcome progress"

Some PR work from management today.