A drug that could bring hope to millions of people living with Alzheimer’s disease is being tested in clinical trials by a Monmouth Junction-based pharmaceutical company at research sites in Mercer, Monmouth and Ocean counties.

Suven Inc. is seeking people ages 50 to 85 who have been diagnosed with moderate Alzheimer’s and who are taking two standard medications for the disease — donepezil and memantine/Namenda XR. The clinical testing is designed to examine the efficacy of SUVN-502 on mental abilities impaired by the disease.

Scientific research has shown that people with Alzheimer’s have decreased levels of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter in the brain essential for processing memory and learning. “SUVN-502 directly stimulates the production of this vital chemical [acetylcholine],” said Dr. Jeffrey Apter, medical director at Princeton Medical Institute and a member of the New Jersey Alzheimer’s Association Scientific Advisory Committee.

Dr. Apter, who is one of the investigators in Suven’s clinical trials, said research on new medications is essential since no new drug has been approved for Alzheimer’s in more than 20 years. “SUVN-502 offers a new mechanism to enhance drugs like Aricept when all the acetylcholine in the brain is no longer present for Aricept to work,” Apter said.

More than 5 million Americans, including 170,000 in New Jersey, are living with Alzheimer’s disease, a progressive brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. Alzheimer’s has no current cure, but treatment for symptoms are available and research continues.

Interested individuals, caregivers, or physicians can visit www.suvn502study.com to pre-qualify themselves, loved ones, or patients for participation. People may also call Impact Consulting Enterprises at (973) 337-2028 or the Princeton Medical Institute at (609) 921-6050 for additional information.

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