Discovery and development of a new drug for the treatment of dementia

Description of impact

Dementia is a growing global health problem in need of medical treatments. Pioneering research led by the University of Aberdeen has led to the development of the drug, hydromethylthionine, a potential ‘game-changer’ for the long-term management and prevention of Alzheimer’s disease. Building on the initial commercialisation reported in the REF2014 case study, the award-winning company TauRx has expanded its research team from 38 to 68 scientists and attracted investment totalling more than [ text removed for publication] since August 2013. The claimed impact is the provision of clinical benefit to individuals, growth of an international company with established presence worldwide (creating new employment and a new joint venture) and the demonstration of pharmacologic activity of a new drug for Alzheimer’s disease and frontotemporal dementia.

Themes

The impact for this case study falls into three categories: health benefits, commercial impact, and intellectual property.

Impact status	Impact Completed (Open)
Impact date	1998 → 2021
Category of impact	Economic Impacts
Stage of Impact	Adoption