Havana, Feb 26 (RHC) The first secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba and president of the Republic, Miguel Díaz-Canel described as a new challenge and contribution to science in the country the start of a clinical trial of the drug NeuralCIM to treat mild or moderate Alzheimer's disease.

On his Twitter account, the dignitary recalled that these tests will begin tomorrow throughout the national territory.

According to press reports, as of February 27, consultations will begin in Havana to include 413 patients. In the rest of the country, a Phase III clinical trial will be also developed with 1,456 patients.

This was announced during a workshop with the participation of specialists from health institutions in the Cuban capital, the Center for State Control of Medicines, Equipment, and Medical Devices, and researchers from the Center of Molecular Immunology (CIM) and Cimab S.A.

Photo: Cubadebate

The trial in the capital will last 18 months and in the other provinces, it will last two years, each one with intermediate analyses to evaluate the behavior of the drug.

Dr. Nelson Gómez Viera, head of the Neurology Service of the 'Hermanos Ameijeiras' Surgical Clinical Hospital, explained that this stage will allow reinforcing the evidence obtained in the use of NeuralCIM in mild and moderate Alzheimer's disease.

Dr. Nelson Gómez Viera, head of the Neurology Service of the 'Hermanos Ameijeiras' Surgical Clinical Hospital

For this purpose, the results of the product will be analyzed in comparison with Donepezil (a drug used worldwide to treat dementia) and combined with it.

Dementias in general and Alzheimer's disease, in particular, are a growing health problem in the world as a consequence of population aging.

The specialist pointed out that 60 percent of the cases are Alzheimer's. Currently, some 160 thousand people suffer from dementia, which represents 1.3 percent of the Cuban population (Source: Prensa Latina).