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There are some 23 identified amyloid proteins that occur naturally in the body. Normally, all these
amyloid proteins are soluble, but they can also bind with other substances to form microscopic
strands of solid toxic material called fibrils. When these individual fibrils build up in abnormal
deposits, they form a solid, highly toxic mass, which limits cellular function or even kills the
cells upon which it accumulates. This results in a variety of disorders and diseases and can lead to
death.
For instance, amyloid deposits or plaques on nerve cells within the brain tissue or microvasculature
are associated with the development of Alzheimer's disease and hemorrhagic stroke due to cerebral
amyloid angiopathy. Amyloid deposits are also a consequence of certain inflammatory diseases
including rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn's disease, and are responsible for the development of
AA Amyloidosis.
Neurochem's multi-disciplinary clinical research teams have discovered and advanced a group of
oral therapeutic compounds with the ability to prevent and inhibit the formation of amyloid deposits.
Since there are many compounds to treat the symptoms but no known treatments for the underlying
causes of diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Neurochem's innovative drug candidates may represent
the best known possibilities for treatments.
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