Forgetting something in the humdrum of our daily life, be it a trivial chore or an important date, is a common occurrence. We consider it quite normal. But when memory loss becomes a regular affair and starts affecting our functional lives, it becomes a disorder. The umbrella term for this forgetting disorder is dementia, a mental health challenge that impairs your cognitive functions. Alzheimer’s disease falls under the category of dementia, which, according to recent WHO data, affects around 50 million people across the world. This world health body also predicts that the numbers are going to triple by 2050.
While research is going on at the global level to manage Alzheimer’s disease in an efficient manner, the last 20 years haven’t seen a new drug for the condition. But in a recent development, China has approved a new drug for Alzheimer’s disease. The Chinese drug regulator, National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) has given conditional approval to this drug known as Oligomannate, for the treatment of mild to moderate Alzheimer’s Disease. Though the new therapy seems promising, experts are of the opinion that larger trials are necessary before reaching a conclusion about the efficacy of this drug. Expected to be available in China by the end of 2019, this new drug is yet to match the safety and efficacy standards of the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA).
