What is axona

T he rationale behind tricaprilin is to boost cellular metabolism in Alzheimer's by providing a fuel alternative to glucose. This trial enrolled patients with mild to moderate AD at 82 locations in the United States. As secondary outcomes, the trial used additional cognitive, clinical, and global measures in ApoE4 non-carriers; other outcomes include overlapping measures in ApoE4 carriers plus still more cognitive and clinical measures in both carriers and non-carriers.

In , Accera started three Phase 1 studies of AC in a total of 52 healthy volunteers. One compares serum ketone body levels after administration of AC versus caprylic triglyceride oil, as well as interactions with a high-fat diet; one compares serum ketone body generation after AC mixed in water or AC in water, versus AC in Ensure; and one compares ketone body generation after a single dose of AC to similar formulations, including AC Also in , Accera conducted a pilot safety study of AC in 10 people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

The data were subsequently published Henderson et al. Part of the failure was attributed to poor bioavailability of the new formulation, which produced lower plasma ketone concentrations than did Axona. Axona is a "medical food" manufactured by Accera and marketed for people with mild to moderate AD as improving cognitive function.

Martini, however, never had the chance to see any long-term improvement; three days after his visit, his father fell and broke his hip. It was an injury from which he never fully recovered before passing away last year.

While Martini remains a believer, the medical community has mixed feelings about whether Axona should be prescribed to people with AD.

And with few effective treatments available for the symptoms of the disease, consumers may be particularly vulnerable to unsubstantiated marketing claims. Alzheimer's disease causes the brain to become less efficient at converting sugar glucose into energy. Some scientists believe this inefficiency may contribute to cognitive decline, although the research supporting this theory is preliminary.

One animal study, for example, found that dogs fed an alternate form of glucose performed better on visual-spatial memory tasks and short-term memory tests. Axona counteracts the glucose-deprivation process, or so the theory goes, by providing caprylic triglyceride, an ingredient that the brain can use as an alternate energy source.

The food comes in the form of a packet containing 20 g of powder that is mixed with 4—8 oz of water. Introduced in , Axona is currently the only medical food in the United States marketed for people with AD, although others are in development.

Since the product is sold as a medical food and not a pharmaceutical drug, the manufacturer wasn't required to submit results from the same rigorous clinical trials that pharmaceutical companies must submit when seeking approval from the U.

Axona is not sold as a supplement either; even if it was, the FDA does not approve supplements. Thies, Ph. As long as the medical food is based on ingredients found in a regular diet, the FDA won't require evidence of effectiveness in advance of it going on the market. The study reported that of people with mild to moderate AD, those who consumed the shake showed slightly better scores on cognitive tests than those who were given a placebo.

As a result, the company tested Axona as a drug. However, the drug failed to show benefit in a phase III clinical trial. Until more is known, the Alzheimer's Association doesn't recommend the use of medical foods, including Axona, for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. There is a problem with information submitted for this request. Sign up for free, and stay up-to-date on research advancements, health tips and current health topics, like COVID, plus expert advice on managing your health.

Error Email field is required. Error Include a valid email address. To provide you with the most relevant and helpful information and to understand which information is beneficial, we may combine your e-mail and website usage information with other information we have about you. If we combine this information with your PHI, we will treat all of that information as PHI, and will only use or disclose that information as set forth in our notice of privacy practices.

You may opt-out of e-mail communications at any time by clicking on the Unsubscribe link in the e-mail. Our Housecall e-newsletter will keep you up-to-date on the latest health information. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. Any use of this site constitutes your agreement to the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy linked below.

Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization and proceeds from Web advertising help support our mission. Mayo Clinic does not endorse any of the third party products and services advertised. A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. See more conditions. Request Appointment. Axona: Medical food to treat Alzheimer's.

Products and services. I've heard about a new Alzheimer's supplement called Axona. What does it do, and can it really treat Alzheimer's? With Jonathan Graff-Radford, M.