Forget about dementia: Australia is testing a new Alzheimer's medication.

In Australia, a new medication has been developed that may prevent damage to brain cells and the onset of certain forms of dementia. The developing company reported that the new drug, ALPHA-003, can protect the brain from destruction caused by inflammatory processes.

According to Professor Kiran Scott from Western Sydney University, the primary challenge in treating many types of dementia is associated with the degradation of microtubules—essential components of brain cells, which are filamentous protein clusters. When microtubules deteriorate, brain cells die. Until now, no one has been able to find a way to prevent this destruction. However, researchers believe that ALPHA-003 may be the first drug to stabilize tau protein and protect microtubules and the brain.

The medication has currently been tested on animals in preclinical trials, and ALPHA-003 has successfully crossed the blood-brain barrier, indicating that it could be genuinely effective in treating brain disorders. ALPHA-003 is now undergoing preclinical research, with human trials expected to commence in 2026.

If all stages of research are successfully completed, the drug will be aimed at treating tauopathies. These include Alzheimer's disease, frontotemporal dementia, progressive supranuclear palsy (a form of Parkinson's disease), and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (resulting from multiple concussions). So far, no medication has been able to significantly slow the progression of these diseases.