Scyllo-inositol
Encyclopedia
scyllo-Inositol is one of the stereoisomers of inositol
Inositol
Inositol or cyclohexane-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexol is a chemical compound with formula 6126 or 6, a sixfold alcohol of cyclohexane. It exists in nine possible stereoisomers, of which the most prominent form, widely occurring in nature, is cis-1,2,3,5-trans-4,6-cyclohexanehexol, or myo-inositol...

. It is also known as scyllitol, cocositol, quercinitol, and 1,3,5/2,4,6-hexahydroxycyclohexane. scyllo-Inositol is a naturally occurring plant sugar alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....

 found most abundantly in the coconut palm.

Biological effects

Researchers at the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...

 have found that scyllo-inositol can block the development of amyloid-beta (Aβ) plaques in the brains of transgenic mice. scyllo-Inositol also reversed memory deficits, reduced the formation of Aβ plaques
Senile plaques
Senile plaques are extracellular deposits of amyloid in the gray matter of the brain. The deposits are associated with degenerative neural structures and an abundance of microglia and astrocytes...

, and alleviated other symptoms that are associated with the accumulation of Aβ proteins in these mice.

Clinical evaluation

scyllo-Inositol is under investigation by Transition Therapeutics as a disease-modifying therapy for Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease also known in medical literature as Alzheimer disease is the most common form of dementia. There is no cure for the disease, which worsens as it progresses, and eventually leads to death...

 under the designation AZD-103. A patent was issued on April 21, 2009 (US patent number 7,521,481) claiming the use of scyllo-inositol for treating Alzheimer's disease. scyllo-Inositol is undergoing clinical investigation as an orally-administered therapeutic agent for the treatment of mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease. It has received fast track designation
FDA Fast Track Development Program
The FDA Fast Track Development Program is a designation of the United States Food and Drug Administration that accelerates the approval of investigational new drugs undergoing clinical trials with the goal review time of 60 days...

 from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Transition has partnered with Elan Corporation on the development of the compound under the designation ELND005. ELND005 is currently in a Phase 2 clinical study, which completed enrollment in October 2008. The study is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-ranging, safety and efficacy study in approximately 353 patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease. The planned treatment period for each patient is approximately 18 months.

In December 2009, Elan and Transition jointly reported that the study has been modified so that only the 250 mg twice daily dose will be continued because of greater rates of adverse events, including 9 deaths, in the higher dose groups (1000 mg and 2000 mg dosed twice daily).

External Links

Drugs In Clinical Trials - ELND005
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