Shared Information Will Help Further Alzheimer’s Research

In a combined effort to further Alzheimer’s disease research, several drug makers will share information with one another about failed drug trials. More than 11 different drug trials will be included in the first round of  information. 13 pharmaceutical companies are involved in this joint effort. They include GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson, Abbot Laboratories, AstraZeneca and Sanofi-Aventis.

Other drug makers along with studies conducted by the National Institutes of Health will be added to the database as well. The information is expected to be made available on Friday. The first round of information will include information from more than 4,000 patients. Marc Cantillon of the Coalition against Major Diseases helped get this project off the ground. He hopes that other diseases will soon have the same resources for scientists and researchers to compare notes against. Some diseases like Parkinson’s disease and tuberculosis can benefit from this information sharing.

Often times, studies are too small, involving just a couple hundred people. With this combined database, a larger number of patients will be evaluated, providing valuable information as to why a drug failed. Hopefully, scientists will be able to figure out why certain drugs only helped a small number of patients and possibly reformulate the drugs to be more effective and safe.

The FDA is often blamed for limiting the drug companies’ ability to create potentially effective drugs by enforcing strict mandates related to patient safety.  The FDA hopes this new coalition will eliminate some of the trial and error drug companies go through to make a drug safe.