Delray Medical Center is the first hospital in Florida to treat an Alzheimer’s disease patient using non-invasive focused ultrasound technology as part of a groundbreaking study being conducted in collaboration with Florida Atlantic University’s Institute for Human Health and Disease Intervention (I-Health).
In the FDA-approved clinical trial, focused ultrasound technology is used to disrupt the blood-brain barrier in participating Alzheimer’s patients. Alzheimer’s may be caused by a buildup of certain proteins in the brain. Precisely guided by magnetic-resonance imaging, ultrasound waves are directed at specific areas of the patient’s brain to create a temporary opening in the blood-brain barrier where the protein buildup may be reduced. The Delray Medical Center patient enrolled in the clinical trial received the first of three treatments at the hospital on Feb. 15.
An estimated 6.5 million Americans ages 65 and older are living with Alzheimer’s disease, which is the sixth leading cause of death for those age 65 and above in the U.S., according to the Alzheimer’s Association. Florida has the second highest incidence of Alzheimer’s in the country, with an estimated 580,000 cases.
“By establishing the Florida Alzheimer’s Center of Excellence last year, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has placed Alzheimer’s disease as a priority health issue in Florida, which will benefit the more than 580,000 people now living with Alzheimer’s as well as their families,” said FAU President Stacy Volnick. “We are excited to collaborate with Delray Medical Center, Insightec and others on this groundbreaking technology that will create the next generation of patient care for Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative disorders.”
FAU’s Gregg Fields, Ph.D., executive director of I-Health and a professor of chemistry and biochemistry in FAU’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, is the program director for the project.
“Drug passage through the blood-brain barrier is perhaps one of the greatest challenges in neurology,” said Fields. “The treatment of the first patient in Florida with the non-invasive focused ultrasound technology represents a significant advancement for potential drug delivery and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and other neurological disorders. In tandem, we are also working on non-invasive, blood-based monitoring to determine if treatments are effective.”
The clinical trial, called ExAblate Blood-Brain Barrier (BBB) Disruption for the Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease, is designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of Insightec’s ExAblate Model 4000 Type 2.0 System as a tool for disrupting the blood-brain barrier in probable Alzheimer’s patients.
“Insightec is committed to working with our partners to help drive innovation,” said Maurice Ferre, M.D., chairman and CEO from Insightec. “By providing our medical technologies to hospitals and universities across the state of Florida, we are building a cross-sector network with advanced capabilities to accelerate research for potential treatment solutions for brain diseases.”
The study, part of Florida’s Brain State initiative, is being conducted at up to eight sites in the country. Patients who meet the specific study criteria receive three focused ultrasound treatments, two weeks apart, and will be followed for five years after the final procedure.
The Insightec technology has already been shown to be effective in treating patients with Parkinson’s disease and essential tremor, a neurological disorder that causes involuntary trembling of the head and hands, preventing people with the condition from performing simple tasks, such as drinking from a glass or tying shoelaces.
Source: Company Press Release
