ASPET member Joe Harding, Professor at the Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine, was profiled along with colleague Jay Wright on LaboratoryEquipment.com, for developing a potential new drug for Alzheimer’s that vastly improves the cognitive function of laboratory rats that had symptoms of Alzheimer’s. In pill form, the molecular compound named Dihexa was found to be more effective than brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which is currently seen as the most reliable compound that has been approved to treat Alzheimer’s. Unlike other current drugs used to treat Alzheimer's which merely slow the process, Dihexa actually restores lost function by rebuilding neural connections. The drug still requires extensive safety and efficacy testing to gain FDA approval.