Another Promising Alzheimer ’ s Drug Trial Ends In Failure: ‘ This One Hurts ’

(CNN) — It’s another devastating blow in the search for a treatment for patients living with Alzheimer’s disease. Pharmaceutical giant Biogen and its Japanese partner Eisai announced Thursday they were halting two phase three clinical trials of a drug that targets the buildup in the brain of beta-amyloid, one of two proteins that researchers believe contribute to the development of Alzheimer’s. The drug, called aducanumab, was the most promising candidate in a field that has been littered with failures. It was so promising that the company was running two phase three trials simultaneously, said neurologist Dr. Richard Isaacson, who directs the Alzheimer’s Prevention Clinic at Weill Cornell in New York. “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,” Isaacson said. “This was the most hopeful thing we had — in fact I have patients who are in the study, patients that are waiting to get into the trials. “This one hurts,” Isaacson said. “Alzheimer’s patients just can’t get a break.” A hypothesis and a ‘huge gamble’ The “amyloid hypothesis” says it’s the accumulation of beta-amyloid in the brain that is the primary cause of the memory-destroying disease. Studies on mice showed that removing the buildup worked wonders, and the hypothesis has been the driving fo...
Source: WBZ-TV - Breaking News, Weather and Sports for Boston, Worcester and New Hampshire - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Health News Alzheimer's Disease CNN Source Type: news