‘This was the most hopeful thing we had…. Alzheimer’s patients just can’t get a break’
Two late-stage clinical trials for a promising Alzheimer’s drug were axed in a crushing blow for patients and scientific research.
“This was the closest to the finish line and early results showed not only could we improve cognitive function but also get rid of amyloid in the brain,” Richard Isaacson, a neurologist, told CNN. “This was the most hopeful thing we had.”The brain has been a black box for drug developers, but focusing on beta amyloid has long been viewed as the best hope for treating the mysterious ailment that affects millions of Americans and their families.
“The hope was that maybe they have the secret sauce. Maybe they have the form of antibody that’s the most potent,” said Samuel Gandy, associate director of the Mount Sinai Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center in New York. “I admit to you, we are getting pretty desperate.” Part of the science supporting the theory goes back to genetics. Some patients have been found with mutations in genes involved in beta-amyloid production, and are predisposed to get Alzheimer’s. But that doesn’t prove that amyloid is behind more common cases of the disease.
On Friday, Eisai shares dropped 17 per cent in trading in Japan, the biggest one-day drop for the stock since 1988.Drug companies have seen billion of dollars vanish in the quest to develop a drug that could slow the progression of Alzheimer’s. When Eli Lilly revealed that a similar drug failed in late-stage trials in 2016, its CEO disclosed that it had spent US$3 billion working on a cure for Alzheimer’s to that point.
Biogen bonds slumped alongside the shares. Biogen’s 5.2 per cent note due 2045 was among the biggest decliners in the investment-grade market Thursday, falling 3.481 cents, the most ever for the security, according to Trace data.Some researchers are still enthusiastic about the amyloid idea despite the growing number of setbacks.
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