Shanghai Green Valley Pharmaceuticals announced that China’s National Medical Products Administration has approved Oligomannate as new drug for the treatment of mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease.
Monday 4 November 2019
Shanghai Green Valley Pharmaceuticals (Green Valley) announced that China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) has approved Oligomannate as new drug for the treatment of mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease.
Dr Carol Routledge, Director of Research at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said:
“While it might sound strange for a potential Alzheimer’s drug to come from seaweed, many naturally occurring compounds provide the basis for developing medicines.
“Research suggests that this drug may work by affecting the activity of bacteria in the gut and there is growing evidence of an important link between the gut and the brain. Alzheimer’s Research UK is actively funding research investigating the link between the gut and Alzheimer’s in detail, which will help generate new targets for drugs.
“It’s good to see that drug regulators in China are prioritising emerging treatments for Alzheimer’s, but we do still need to see more evidence that this drug is safe and effective.
“For any potential drug to gain a stamp of approval by regulators in the UK, we’ll need to see larger trials in countries around the world to back up the evidence from China. We must await full data from this study and further clinical trials before we can fully assess the potential of Oligomannate to improve the lives of people with Alzheimer’s disease.”
For further information, or to speak with Dr Carol Routledge, please contact Edward Pinches, Science Communications Officer at Alzheimer’s Research UK on 0300 111 5 666, 07876573717 or email press@alzheimersresearchuk.org
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