Grifols to conduct new Alzheimer’s disease trial

Grifols has outlined plans to conduct a clinical trial into a potential new treatment option for Alzheimer’s disease next year.

The 300-patient study will be conducted over two years commencing in January 2011 and involves a combined treatment of therapeutic plasmapheresis, human albumin and intravenous immune globulin.

As part of this, the company has agreed a deal with medical technology firm Fenwal to create a prototype plasmapheresis device specifically for use in this research.

It will follow on from a smaller study conducted in 2009, results from which suggested that the proposed treatment can potentially lead to stabilisation of the degenerative condition.

William Cork, chief technology officer and senior vice-president at Fenwal, said: “This is a promising new area of medicine with the potential to significantly improve the quality of life for millions of people and families.”

Last month, Grifols announced an agreement with Pharmalink AB which will see it gain the rights and patents for a number of potentially promising post-polio syndrome treatments.