中国原创阿尔茨海默症新药获批，老年痴呆症有新希望

Authorities in China have approved a drug for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease, the first new medicine with the potential to treat the cognitive disorder in 17 years.

中国有关部门已批准一种治疗阿尔茨海默症的药物，这是17年来首个可能对这种认知障碍有治疗效果的新药。

The seaweed-based drug, called Oligomannate, can be used for the treatment of mild to moderate Alzheimer's, according to a statement from China's drug safety agency.

中国药品安全监督管理局发表的一份声明显示，这个被称为甘露特钠胶囊的海藻类药物可以用于治疗轻度至中度的阿尔茨海默症。

The approval is conditional however, meaning that while it can go on sale during additional clinical trials, it will be strictly monitored and could be withdrawn should any safety issues arise.

然而，批准是有条件的，虽然它可以在额外的临床试验期间上市销售，但将受到严格监督，如果出现任何安全问题，可能会被撤回。

In September, the team behind the new drug, led by Geng Meiyu at the Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said they were inspired to look into seaweed due to the relatively low incidence of Alzheimer's among people who consume it regularly.

这一新药的研究团队由中国科学院上海药物研究所的耿美玉带领，他们在九月份说受到启发研究海藻是因为经常食用海藻的人中阿尔茨海默症的发病率相对较低。

In a paper in the journal Cell Research, Geng's team described how a sugar contained within seaweed suppresses certain bacteria contained in the gut which can cause neural degeneration and inflammation of the brain, leading to Alzheimer's.

耿美玉的团队在《Cell Research》杂志的一篇论文中描述了海藻中的糖如何抑制肠道中某些细菌的，这些细菌会导致神经退化和大脑炎症，从而导致老年痴呆。

This mechanism was confirmed during a clinical trial carried out by Green Valley, a Shanghai-based pharmaceutical company that will be bringing the new drug to market.

这一机制在上海的绿谷制药公司进行的临床试验中得到了证实，该公司将把这种新药推向市场。

Conducted on 818 patients, the trial found that Oligomannate -- which is derived from brown algae -- can statistically improve cognitive function among people with Alzheimer's in as little as four weeks, according to a statement from Green Valley.

绿谷制药公司发布的声明中说，对818位病人进行的临床试验发现从统计数据来看，用褐藻提取物制成的甘露特钠胶囊在短短四周内就能改善老年痴呆人群的认知功能。

"These results advance our understanding of the mechanisms that play a role in Alzheimer's disease and imply that the gut microbiome is a valid target for the development of therapies," neurologist Philip Scheltens, who advises Green Valley and heads the Alzheimer Center Amsterdam, said in the statement.

神经学家Philip Scheltens是绿谷制药公司顾问，也是阿姆斯特丹阿尔茨海默症中心负责人，他在声明中说：“这些结果促进了我们对阿尔茨海默症发病机制的理解，并暗示肠道微生物群是治疗发展的有效靶点。”