| Millions being gambled on Alzheimer's drug trial -
12-03-2006, 10:18 PM
SAN FRANCISCO: It's tragedy enough that Pat Williams' mother has Alzheimer's disease. But Williams is also terrified because her chances of inheriting the disease are much more than average.
So Williams enrolled her 90-year-old mother last year in a massive, clinical testing of an experimental drug made by Myriad Genetics Inc.
The drug, called Flurizan, slowed the mind-robbing disease in some of the 128 patients with mild Alzheimer's participating in a smaller test.
Based on those results, the company has gambled millions of dollars on the largest-ever Alzheimer's drug trial.
It aims to win an international race to find the first effective treatment to at least slow the disease's progression in the 4.5 million Americans who suffer from it.
Analysts predict the market for such a drug could reach $4 billion annually by 2013 and the success would lift the company's fortunes.
Angel xenoMED | NDR “Nothing brings me more happiness than helping people in the society. It is a goal and an essential part of my life - a kind of destiny.” | 
Linear Mode
