A team of scientists from the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), under the Department of Science and Technology (DST), has developed a molecule that could be a potential drug candidate to halt or cure the leading cause of dementia worldwide. This research work has been patented and published in the journal 'Advanced Therapeutics'.

The research is aimed to design and synthesize molecules that can reduce the toxicity of-amyloid peptide—that accumulate in the central nervous system. Prof. T Govindaraju who led the team said, “The molecule, named TGR63, can rescue neuronal cells from amyloid toxicity. We saw that the molecule helped in reducing the clumping and slowly reversing the cognitive decline, which disrupts the mechanism through which neurons become dysfunctional due to Alzheimer’s."

As per studies, Alzheimer’s will soon be one of the top diseases in the country, and currently available treatments provide only temporary relief, and there are no approved drugs that directly act on the mechanisms of the disease.

This molecule addresses the unmet need to develop drug candidates to halt or cure the disease.

Reviewing the potential of this research to be a drug candidate, Hamsa Biopharma India Private Limited, a Company based in Delhi, indicated its interest in further developing the drug based on a license agreement.

Accordingly, the team led by Ram Mukunda of Hamsa Biopharma India Private Limited entered an agreement with JNCASR. The Hamsa Biopharma India Private Limited is a subsidiary of a US-based company, which has expertise in clinical trials, research, and taking this potential molecule through regulatory processes related to drug development.

Alzheimer's disease is a progressive neurologic disorder that causes the brain to shrink (atrophy) and brain cells to die. Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia — a continuous decline in thinking, behavioral and social skills that affects a person's ability to function independently.