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A Phase II study targeting amyloid-beta with 3APS in mild-to-moderate Alzheimer disease
Aisen PS, Saumier D, Briand R, Laurin J, Gervais F, Tremblay P, Garceau D.. Neurology, 2006-11-02
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
Background As a potential disease-modifying treatment for Alzheimer disease (AD), 3-amino-1-propanesulfonic acid (3APS) is a compound that binds to amyloid beta (Abeta), a toxic protein known to aggregate, leading to amyloid plaque deposition in the brain. Methods We assessed the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic effect of 3APS in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase II study in which 58 subjects with mild-to-moderate AD were randomly assigned to receive placebo or 3APS 50, 100, or 150 mg BID for 3 months. At the end of the double-blind phase, 42 of these subjects entered an open-label phase in which they received 3APS 150 mg BID for 17 months.
Key findings
- Methods We assessed the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic effect of 3APS in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase II study in which 58 subjects with mild-to-moderate AD were randomly assigned to receive placebo or 3APS 50, 100, or 150 mg BID for 3 months.
- At the end of the double-blind phase, 42 of these subjects entered an open-label phase in which they received 3APS 150 mg BID for 17 months.
- Assessments included plasma and CSF 3APS concentrations, CSF levels of Abeta (Abeta(40) and Abeta(42)), and total tau, as well as cognitive (Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-cognitive subscale, Mini-Mental State Examination) and clinical (Clinical Dementia Rating scale-Sum of Boxes) measures.
- Results 3APS had no significant impact on vital signs or laboratory test values.
Why it matters
This Phase II study tested the compound 3APS, which binds amyloid beta, in 58 people with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer disease for safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic effects. It was a small early-stage trial and does not establish that 3APS treats, cures, or prevents Alzheimer disease.
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Study details
- Study designopen-label trial
- Participants58
- Evidence strengthHigh
How this study scored 64/100
Published in a leading specialty journal, and it is a randomised controlled trial. Scored zero for effect reported because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 9 / 10 | Tier 2 — leading specialty journal (Neurology) |
| Journal's citation record | 4 / 4 | Neurology: journal h-index 525 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 11 / 12 | A randomised controlled trial (from PubMed type “Randomized Controlled Trial”) |
| Strength of evidence | 5 / 5 | Rated “high” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2006 — older than 20 years, still counted |
| Sample size | 1 / 4 | 58 participants |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 2 / 2 | Randomised and blinded or placebo-controlled (as stated in the record) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 202 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 9.2 citations a year over 22 year(s) since 2006 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 11.0× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 5 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 9 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 1 / 4 | Last-listed author D. Garceau: h-index 16 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | Georgetown University Medical Center: institution h-index 564 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 0 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 1 institution(s) in 1 country — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete) |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 17082468) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 64 / 100 | — |
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Read the original
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Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record names 7 authors; APA and Vancouver show the first six, BibTeX and the downloads carry all of them. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Aisen, P. S., Saumier, D., Briand, R., Laurin, J., Gervais, F., Tremblay, P., et al. (2006). A Phase II study targeting amyloid-beta with 3APS in mild-to-moderate Alzheimer disease. Neurology. https://doi.org/10.1212/01.wnl.0000244346.08950.64
Vancouver
Aisen PS, Saumier D, Briand R, Laurin J, Gervais F, Tremblay P, et al. A Phase II study targeting amyloid-beta with 3APS in mild-to-moderate Alzheimer disease. Neurology. 2006. doi:10.1212/01.wnl.0000244346.08950.64. PMID: 17082468.
BibTeX
@article{aisen2006-17082468,
author = {Aisen, P. S. and Saumier, D. and Briand, R. and Laurin, J. and Gervais, F. and Tremblay, P. and Garceau, D.},
title = {{A Phase II study targeting amyloid-beta with 3APS in mild-to-moderate Alzheimer disease}},
journal = {Neurology},
year = {2006},
doi = {10.1212/01.wnl.0000244346.08950.64},
pmid = {17082468},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1212/01.wnl.0000244346.08950.64}
}
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