The Lost Sleep Factor
Just heard an NPR broadcast interviewing a sleep expert, who said evidence continues to support lack of sleep, inability to sleep well in middle age as a major cause of ensuing Alzheimer’s. Sound sleep induces waste protein (beta-amyloid, et al.) removal from nerves and neurons.
In relation to Anavex 2-73 (which wasn’t mentioned), the drug’s ability to induce strong, healthful sleep, before any Alzheimer’s symptoms begin, may be a major eventual use for the drug. Universal restoration or induction of good sleep in the Australian Alzheimer's patients in the Phase 1/2 study there is significant.
Here’s the scenario (mine). Anavex 2-73 gets approved to treat mid to mild level Alzheimer’s patients, a result of the big Phase 3 study soon to start. Better than anything on the market, it works for most, either stabilizing at-the-start cognition, or actually improves it.
Of course, families then will be bringing to their doctors older, or even middle-aged family members just starting to lose memory. Physicians recognize these behaviors as those seen at the start of Alzheimer’s, and, for the first time, they have a drug they can prescribe. So they start prescribing Anavex 2-73 at the earliest signs of the disease — with high rates of success.
And, with this, they find those people start to sleep well once again. They don't go on to dementia.
The correlation, connection, even cause of Alzheimer’s with early sleep lose or poor quality becomes well known. Finally (perhaps quickly), physicians then start prescribing the drug as a sleep loss prophylactic, knowing that chronic sleep loss or poor quality sleep is a strong predictor or cause of eventual Alzheimer’s. Get to it early, and results are better (perhaps 100%).
Finally, because it has virtually no side effects of concern, Anavex 2-73 becomes a drug prescribed, even mandated for all middle aged people. Health insurance companies quickly recognize that daily consumption of 50mg of Anavex 2-73 reduces the chances of Alzheimer’s by, say, 75%. Everyone in their health insurance plans is required to take the drug, before any symptoms appear.
Consequently, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis cases plummet. Health insurance rates are markedly reduced. People lead longer, more productive (health care insurance paying) lives. Medicare costs plummet. Everyone (except nursing homes) benefits.
Think this to be overly optimistic? Do your own look-up of “Alzheimer’s, poor sleep.”
Then, for now, just for fun, figure out a likely range of corporate revenues if every candidate American popped a Anavex 2-73 pill every day. Presently, there are about 40 million age 50 or older. Add in Europeans and others in developed countries around the world, and the number must approach or exceed 100 million. And for the foreseeable future, that number will grow each year.
Anavex 2-73 has the chance to be the best ever, all-win drug.
[This author advises that his postings should not be used to prompt any AVXL buy or sell decision. Anavex Life Sciences Corp is presently a small, no-revenues, no-product start up pharmaceutical. It may have a great future, as its science is unique and effective. But, of course, never put at risk any non-discretionary funds.]
