CNN: China approves seaweed-based Alzheimer’s drug. It’s the first new one in 17 years

Chinese authorities have approved a new drug for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease that has the potential to treat the cognitive disease within 17 years. The new treatment, called Oligomannate, is a drug derived from brown algae that can treat mild to moderate levels of Alzheimer’s disease. A team at the Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica under the Chinese Academy of Sciences were inspired to investigate seaweed due to the relatively low occurrence of Alzheimer’s disease in populations that consume seaweed regularly. A clinical trial conducted on 818 patients that was done by Green Valley, a Shanghai-based pharmaceutical company, showed that Oligomannate can improve cognitive function among people with Alzheimer’s disease in as little as four weeks. Green Valley says that the drug will be available in China very soon and will shortly expand to overseas markets. However, the approval is conditional—the drug can go on sale while more clinical trials are being conducted but will be strictly monitored and withdrawn if any safety issues arise. For the full article, click here.