National study underway: Can Gammagard preserve thinking abilities?

A national study is underway to determine if a drug used to treat immune deficiency and autoimmune disorders, Gammagard, can preserve thinking abilities in people with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease.

Gammagard is made from human plasma and delivered through an intravenous infusion. It contains antibodies against beta-amyloid, which make up the plaques that develop in the brains of people with Alzheimers. A Syracuse neurologist is among the researchers participating in the GAP (Gammaglobulin Alzheimers Partnership) Study paid for by the National Institutes of Health and Baxter Healthcare Corporation, which makes Gammagard.

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To join the study, participants must have a mild to moderate Alzheimers diagnosis, be between 50 and 89 years of age and have relatively good health. You cannot enroll if you had cancer within the previous five years or if you take blood thinners.

Participants will continue to take their regular medications and will not know if they are assigned Gammagard through the study. Two thirds will receive the Gammagard infusions once every two weeks. The rest will take a placebo therapy.

After the first three infusions at an infusion center, participants will receive their infusions at their homes. The study continues for 18 months. It also involves office visits, regular blood work and five magnetic resonance imaging studies of the brain. The GAP Study pays for all costs.