Immunization Newsbriefs © Copyright Information Inc., Bethesda, MD. Brought to you by the National Network for Immunization Information (NNii). Visit NNii’s new website at http://www.immunizationinfo.org.

March 4, 2002

INTERNATIONAL IMMUNIZATION NEWS

“Elan Permanently Halts Development of Its AN-1792 Vaccine for Alzheimer’s” Wall Street Journal (www.wsj.com) (03/04/02) P. B1; Naik, Gautam

The Irish company Elan announced recently that it has completely halted the development of a promising vaccine for Alzheimer’s disease after a number of patients taking part in a clinical trial became very sick.  The failure of the experimental vaccine, AN-1792, is a major setback in general for attempts to combat Alzheimer’s, the fourth-leading cause of death in developed countries and the most common cause of dementia.  The Irish company’s vaccine had increased expectations of a possible cure for the disease, because the vaccine was the only medication to make it to the midstage of human-testing.  According to analysts, the failure of the experimental vaccine will probably set back Elan’s Alzheimer’s program by between nine months and a year. The experimental vaccine had always been controversial.  Elan’s scientists used a peptide called beta amyloid that collects and forms into plaques to spark an immune response in patients. Critics of the approach warned, however, that such an approach could potentially kill patients.

ALL INFORMATION, DATA, AND MATERIAL CONTAINED, PRESENTED, OR PROVIDED HERE IS FOR GENERAL INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED AS REFLECTING THE KNOWLEDGE OR OPINIONS OF THE PUBLISHER, AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED OR INTENDED AS PROVIDING MEDICAL OR LEGAL ADVICE.  THE DECISION WHETHER OR NOT TO VACCINATE IS AN IMPORTANT AND COMPLEX ISSUE AND SHOULD BE MADE BY YOU, AND YOU ALONE, IN CONSULTATION WITH YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER.