Thrombosis Central Nervous System Metabolism Oncology Respiratory Therapeutic Focus - Central Nervous System Intervening in Neuronal Networks Drugs to treat degenerative diseases of the brain and the spinal cord form one pillar of our Central Nervous System therapeutic area. Given the complexity of neuronal tissue, it is no wonder that most of the diseases affecting the central nervous system cannot be treated causally with current therapies. The disease usually occurs after the age of 40, and is more prevalent among men than women.
Prognosis is poor and patients usually die within two to five years.
Alzheimer's Disease Alzheimer's disease presents an enormous challenge to society as a whole. Some 12.5 million people worldwide are expected to suffer from dementia by the year 2000, with 45 percent attributed to Alzheimer's disease. The majority of sufferers begin to show signs of the illness after the age of 65. Movement and swallowing become impossible followed by death. In the absence of reliable diagnostics, and without causally effective therapy, Alzheimer's disease threatens to become a public health policy disaster.