Alzheimer's cure may have been found by Timperley scientist (From Messenger Newspapers)
Send us news, start your message Messenger News and your send photos and videos to 80360
Alzheimer's cure may have been found by Timperley scientist
9:58am Monday 18th February 2013 in News By Kate Banks, Reporter
Dr Farid Khan
THE cure for Alzheimer’s could be within reach for a Timperley scientist.
Although the drug being piloted by Dr Farid Khan and his company, PharmaKure, is more than 20-years-old and was originally discovered as a candidate for treating Parkinson’s, the University of Manchester research scientist believes finding new uses for old drugs is the future.
“There is a huge problem for humanity in that there are not going to be many new future blockbuster medicines,” said Dr Khan.
The PharmaKure Chief Executive Officer, who is married with two children, said over the past 15 years, drugs companies have primarily been screening drugs with synthetic compounds, which will never work in the human body.
‘“To have active medicines you need either nature’s inspired drugs or those drugs which are already known to function in human beings – old drugs are known to be safe in humans, so they can be fast tracked as treatments for patients,” Dr Khan explained.
“Each drug has around two or three side effects, for example, Viagra was originally used for pulomonary hypertension, but it has another side effect which is very well known,” said Dr Khan.
“This is probably the only way forward so a the moment there’s a gold rush to find new uses for old drugs for a variety of diseases.”
Therefore, the past five years has seen a swathe of companies testing old drugs in order to determine if they have any unknown side effects which could bring about new cures.
PharmaKure launched its patented PK-048 drug the World Drug Repositioning Congress in Washington in December and is now looking for investors.
Dr Khan, who co-founded PharmaKure with business partner, Andrew Doig, said: “The potential for PK-048 to help alleviate the symptoms and potentially to cure Alzheimer’s disease is really exciting.
“It is fantastic to now be in a position with the company to move towards commercialisation phase with a view to licensing and forging investment partnerships.”
For further information visit pharmakure.com.
Comments(2)
shirley_ jones
says...
10:32pm Sun 24 Feb 13
I do fully understand that for those who have already sadly become victims to the inadequacies and failings of the Government to protect the public, that they will require, and possibly be reliant on drugs/medication for life, to assist them with the ill health caused by their exposures, which by the way are mostly avoidable and unecessary it's sad to say, and so treatments are vital. However, if the authorities, the Government and the public listened to the many very eminent, knowledgable and immensley qualified scientists that have been raising awareness for many years now, as Mr Cliff and others have, instead of listening to those who can shout the loudest due to huge amounts of funding from companies with a vested interested in increased drug/medication use not less, new or old, whose credentials go largely unchecked, then there would be less victims requiring drug intervention in the first place. Therefore saving many lives, preventing sickness and disability in those exposed, whose lives are devastated and who are lucky to survive, and will save the Government many millions and will also place less burden on our equally failing NHS. Everyone wins - except the drug/chemical companies of course. Oh well, can't have everything can we!
Graham Cliff says...
9:37pm Sun 24 Feb 13