Week of January 4 - January 10, 2008
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| Axona works by providing an alternative energy source to brain cells. |
Axona is a new medical food product for the clinical dietary management of mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's Disease (AD). Axona has been shown in randomized, placebo controlled clinical trials to safely improve cognitive function and memory in patients diagnosed with mild-to-moderate AD. It will be marketed as an adjunctive therapy to currently approved AD drugs. Axona will be administered under physician supervision and dispensed by prescription, in accordance with applicable FDA regulations.
Axona provides an alternative energy source to brain cells.
Glucose is the primary source of energy for the brain. Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients exhibit a decline in the ability to metabolize glucose in the brain. Inadequate glucose leads to damage resulting in impaired memory and cognition and brain shrinkage. These metabolic defects in the brain often appear 10 to 20 years earlier than other Alzheimer's symptoms.
Axona is converted by the liver into ketone bodies, which provide an efficient alternative fuel for brain cells. Ketone bodies are naturally occurring compounds that are produced mainly by the liver from fatty acids during periods of extended fasting. Ketone bodies have been demonstrated to protect neurons.
Axona's Features
- Axona will be a specially formulated medical food* intended for the clinical dietary management of the metabolic processes associated with mild-to-moderate AD
- Axona is a proprietary formulation of caprylic triglyceride
- Caprylic triglyceride safely increases plasma concentrations of ketone bodies (predominantly BHB), which can provide an alternative energy source for the brains of AD patients
- Caprylic triglyceride is metabolized differently from long-chain triglycerides; does not increase blood cholesterol levels
- Clinical trials have shown that Axona improves cognitive function in AD patients
- Axona will be administered orally once a day, supplied as a powder to be mixed with liquids
- Morning administration preferred, during or directly after breakfast
- Axona will have no significant interaction with commonly prescribed AD medications
- Axona mild adverse events will be primarily limited to the gastrointestinal tract
- Axona will be administered under physician supervision and dispensed by prescription
How It Works
Accera’s innovative, proprietary approach to AD targets the metabolic defects and imbalances associated with, and indeed characterizing the disease. Numerous scientific studies have confirmed a dramatic drop in glucose uptake in certain affected areas of the brain. This hypometabolism starts 10 to 20 years before any symptoms of AD appear. The decrease in metabolism may contribute to both the clinical and pathological course of the disease. Accera’s research has shown that addressing these metabolic deficiencies may reduce the devastating effects of AD and help manage the disease.
Axona will be distributed nationwide and available through retail pharmacies by prescription throughout the United States.
RELATED ARTICLES ON GLUCOSE, ENERGY AND THE BRAIN
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A new Northwestern University study found that as we age, the brain may not get enough glucose (sugar, which is the brain's main source of energy). This launches a process producing sticky clumps of protein that appear to be a cause of Alzheimer's. |
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VIDEO
Axona is a brand new medical food for treating Alzheimer's, which is the most common form of dementia. It is regulated by the FDA. Axona works by providing an alternative energy source for brain cells.
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Milkshake-like medicine virtually halts Alzheimer's progression for 9-months, while blood-test may increase earliness of detection.
(Editor's Note: This article from 2007 refers to a medication called Ketasyn. Ketasyn is the former name of Axona.)
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Axona Forums & Discussions
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New Med for Alzheimer's ? My experiences with Axona !
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MORE INFORMATION:
* A Medical Food is an FDA-regulated product, in a relatively new category of medical protocols defined by Congress as part of the Orphan Drug Act. A Medical Food is formulated to be consumed or administered enterally under the supervision of a physician and is intended for the specific dietary management of a disease or condition for which distinctive nutritional requirements, based on recognized scientific principles, are established by medical evaluation. Medical Foods can be prescription products, but are different than drugs or dietary supplements (also called nutraceuticals) in several aspects, such as their claims. Claims for both Medical Foods and drugs must be supported by solid laboratory and clinical data. Medical Food ingredients have Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) designation, the highest FDA standard of safety given to foods. Medical Foods, sometimes prescribed in addition to drugs, nonetheless represent an entirely different scientific and medical approach to managing diseases.
Accera, Inc., a privately held biotechnology company, discovers and develops product breakthroughs in treating central nervous system disorders. Accera’s novel therapeutic approaches positively impact patients with neurodegenerative disorders, who are in need of effective, well-tolerated treatments. Through its proprietary scientific platform, Accera is developing therapies that address metabolic deficiencies by providing an alternative energy source to the brain. For more information, visit www.accerapharma.com.
SOURCES:
Accera, Inc.
Reviewed by
Dr. Boaz Ancselovic, MD, Geriatrician, Alzheimer's Weekly
COPYRIGHT:
© 2008 Alzheimer's Weekly LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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