Someone in your family history has  Alzheimer’s?
You may be at risk of Alzheimer’s .  You can learn whether you have two copies of  a particular gene called APOE4. If you do, you may receive early treatment from Novartis  for Alzheimer’s even though you don’t yet have it. It’s a new strategy.
The Banner Alzheimer’s Institute tests people for the APOE4 gene. So far, about 35,000 people have signed up agreeing to send swabs of their cheek cells for testing.
The goal for Novartis AG is to recruit people whose genes put them at high risk  for  Alzheimer’s. These people, who do not yet have Alzheimer’s, will receive treatment  as though they have Alzheimer’s.
Persons  receive drugs to  boost the immune system and clear beta amyloid from their  blood. Persons with two copies of the APOE4 gene are two to three times more likely to get Alzheimer’s than the general population.
The above information is from an article in the Wall Street Journal April 24, 2017 titled  Novartis Shifts Approach to Alzheimer’s Research.  Â
