Aberdeen University researchers have developed a drug that may halt the progression of Alzheimer’s disease by targeting build-up of Tau tangles (clumps of protein inside nerve cells in the brain).

Trials of the drug Rember in 321 patients showed significant decreases in the rate of mental decline in patients taking the drug. Imaging data also suggested the drug may have had its biggest effect in the parts of the brain responsible for memory. If the drug succeeds in larger clinical trials, it could be on the market by 2012.

This is the first treatment designed to target Tau tangles. Other treatments focus on combating beta-amyloid, a waste protein that forms hard plaques.