Early last year, it was reported that Bexarotene (a Ligand product that was discovered when I worked there) cleared amyloid plaques from mice, prompting the hypothesis that the retinoid X receptors were somehow involved in Alzheimer’s disease. I have to admit I have a soft spot for nuclear receptors in general and rexinoids in specific, having worked on them for so long. However, this was mouse data and as I have pointed out here and in other places, a mouse is not a human. So it wasn’t really that surprising that several research groups reported today that they can’t reproduce the experiments. Oh Snap!
This would fall in to the category of things I find mildly disappointing, except for the fact that doctors have apparently prescribing Bexarotene to their Alzheimer’s patients off label. Having been at Ligand for a good portion of its troubled history, I know that Bexarotene has some pretty nasty side effects. Hyperlipidemia that is sufficiently elevated to cause pancreatitis. I have very serious reservations about off label prescriptions, particularly based on one study. I know that Alzheimer’s is a horrible disease, but remember our friend Hippocrates, first do no harm. This clearly falls into the doing harm part of the equation.
Let’s remember A MOUSE IS NOT A HUMAN.
Sorry for shouting.
This would fall in to the category of things I find mildly disappointing, except for the fact that doctors have apparently prescribing Bexarotene to their Alzheimer’s patients off label. Having been at Ligand for a good portion of its troubled history, I know that Bexarotene has some pretty nasty side effects. Hyperlipidemia that is sufficiently elevated to cause pancreatitis. I have very serious reservations about off label prescriptions, particularly based on one study. I know that Alzheimer’s is a horrible disease, but remember our friend Hippocrates, first do no harm. This clearly falls into the doing harm part of the equation.
Let’s remember A MOUSE IS NOT A HUMAN.
Sorry for shouting.
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