Rush, Northwestern Studying New Anti-Dementia Drug

CHICAGO (CBS) — Alzheimer’s researchers at Rush University Medical Center and Northwestern University have launched a study to test a new treatment for Alzheimer’s Disease, and are looking for volunteers to take part.

WBBM Newsradio’s Bernie Tafoya reports, if the study involving the drug Solanezumab proves successful, several years down the road you might be getting a routine brain scan to check amyloid plaque levels, much like people get a blood test to check cholesterol levels.

Solanezumab is thought to reduce the amount of amyloid plaque buildup in the brain.

“The amyloid accumulation is really one of the biggest things that we’re trying to slow down when it comes to Alzheimer’s Disease,” said Dr. Neelum Aggarwal, a neurologist at Rush.