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(CNN) - Authorities in China approved a drug for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease, the first new drug with the potential to treat cognitive disorder in 17 years.
The seaweed-based medicine, called oligomannate, can be used to treat mild to moderate Alzheimer's, according to a statement from the Chinese drug safety agency. However, approval is conditional, which means that while it may go on sale during additional clinical trials, it will be strictly monitored and could be withdrawn if a safety problem arises.
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In September, the team behind the new drug, led by Geng Meiyu at the Shanghai Institute of Medical Matters under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said they were inspired to investigate algae due to the relatively low incidence of Alzheimer's among people who They consume them regularly.
In an article in the journal Cell Research , Geng's team described how a sugar contained in algae suppresses certain bacteria contained in the intestine that can cause neuronal degeneration and inflammation of the brain, which leads to Alzheimer's.
This mechanism was confirmed during a clinical trial conducted by Green Valley, a Shanghai-based pharmaceutical company that will launch the new drug to the market.
Performed in 818 patients, the trial found that Oligomannate, which is derived from brown algae, can statistically improve cognitive function among people with Alzheimer's in just four weeks, according to a Green Valley statement.
"These results advance our understanding of the mechanisms that play a role in Alzheimer's disease and imply that the intestinal microbiome is a valid target for the development of therapies," said neurologist Philip Scheltens, who advises Green Valley and directs Alzheimer's Amsterdam center.
Vincent Mok, who heads the division of neurology at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, said the new drug showed "encouraging results" compared to acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, the existing treatment for mild to severe Alzheimer's.
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"It is equally effective but has fewer side effects," he told CNN. "It will also open new avenues for Alzheimer's research, focusing on the intestinal microbiome."
Since very little is known about the mechanisms of the new drug, Mok said it should also be tested to see if it could have a protective effect and possibly slow the progression of the disease in patients who have not yet developed strong symptoms of dementia.
The company said Oligomannate will be available in China "very soon," and is currently seeking approval to market it abroad, with plans to launch third-phase clinical trials in the United States and Europe in early 2020.
Alzheimer's disease, which begins with memory loss and scales to severe brain damage, is believed to cause 60% to 70% of dementia cases reported worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. Dementia affects about 50 million people worldwide, including 9.5 million people in mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
Named for Alois Alzheimer, the neuropathologist who discovered the disease in 1906, so far it has confused researchers and pharmaceutical companies.
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In October, US pharmaceutical giant Biogen said it would seek approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for an experimental treatment called aducanumab, after announcing in March that it would cancel a large clinical trial for the drug.
Johnson & Johnson, Merck, Pfizer and Eli Lilly have abandoned projects to develop a drug for Alzheimer's after unsatisfactory clinical data.
Alzheimer's