First Oral Alzheimer’s Pill Shows Promise for High-Risk Patients

A new Alzheimer’s drug pill has shown encouraging results in a late-stage trial for people with a high genetic risk of the disease.

The pill, called ALZ-801 (valiltramiprosate), is designed for people who carry two copies of the APOE4 gene. This group is known to have the highest chance of developing Alzheimer’s and often declines faster once symptoms begin.

What the study found

The Phase 3 trial tested the pill on people with early-stage Alzheimer’s.

Results showed that:

• The full study group did not meet the main goal.
• But among patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), the pill slowed brain shrinkage and showed signs of preserving memory and thinking ability.
• The pill also had a good safety record, with fewer serious side effects than many current Alzheimer’s treatments.

Why this matters

Current Alzheimer’s drugs often need infusions and can cause brain swelling or bleeding.

This pill is taken by mouth, which doctors say could make care simpler and safer, especially for older or fragile patients.

What experts say

Researchers called the results “promising but early”.

They say more trials are needed to prove whether the benefits will be strong enough to change long-term care.

Still, experts agree that this is a big step for patients with a genetic risk who currently have very few targeted options.