Researchers have reported a potential oral treatment for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) that slowed its progression over a period of at least 18 months. 

Developed by Singaporean company TauRx Pharmaceutics, the scientists based in Aberdeen, UK, report that hydromethylthionine mesylate (HMTM) could be the first oral treatment for AD that targets the tau protein pathology. 

At the AD/PD 2025 conference in Vienna, TauRx Pharmaceuticals CEO and Co-founder Professor Claude Wischik outlined work which compared results from HMTM’s recent Phase III trial with placebo data from closely matched subjects available from the Critical Path in AD (CPAD) Institute database, which contains information from nearly 10,000 patients that have taken part in 36 global trials. 

Professor Wischik, who led the research, said: “The results, which were consistent across three different analyses comparing HMTM with external data, show that HMTM is effective in reducing clinical decline and brain atrophy progression over a period of at least 18 months, with potentially clinically meaningful treatment benefits lasting up to two years. 

“Although this is not a cure, the research suggests that starting HMTM treatment early in the disease process can substantially delay progression. The combination of a strong safety profile, as evidenced from trials involving more than 3,000 patients, and oral administration leads us to believe we have a drug that people would be able to take in the same way they take other prescription medication.” 

No significant decline

The comparison using the ADAS-cog13 scoring system, which measures the ability to undertake tasks such as recalling words and remembering test instructions, showed patients with early disease taking HMTM did not decline significantly from their baseline score over 18 months, in contrast to the substantial decline seen in the CPAD placebo data. 

In addition, examination of the Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) scale used to provide a global assessment of dementia severity showed similar results, with progression of brain atrophy, an objective indicator of neurodegeneration, also significantly reduced for the HMTM data. 

While several other drugs have focused on amyloid protein, HMTM has a different mode of action in that it targets the abnormal assembly of tau protein.

Diana Spencer, Senior Digital Content Editor, DDW