Drugmaker Roche ended a late-stage trial of a drug to treat the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease after an analysis showed that gantenerumab wasn’t effective at removing beta-amyloid plaque from the brain.
The results are not that surprising considering that other pharmaceutical companies, including Eli Lilly, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson also have developed drugs targeting beta-amyloid plaque, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s, but also without success in large trials.
Eli Lilly is developing solanezumab and was working on bapineuzumab, with partners Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, and Elan. Both of those biologic-based medications failed to demonstrate efficacy in late-stage trials. Bapinezumab has been abandoned, while Eli Lilly is testing solanezumab in early-stage patients.
The failure is the second for Roche this year for an Alzheimer’s treatment. In July, the company released trial results for crenezumab and found it didn’t help people with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s.
Despite the latest setback, Roche is continuing development of gantenerumab in Alzheimer’s patients with mild dementia and well as in people with a genetic predisposition for the disease.
Other potential Alzheimer’s treatments are on the horizon. Earlier this month, Biogen Idec announced it would move BIIB037 into a Phase III trial for Alzheimer’s. It also works by targeting beta-amyloid plaque.
Slideshow
Understanding Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer disease is an irreversible, progressive brain disease that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills, and eventually even the ability to carry out the simplest tasks, according to the National Institute on Aging. In most people with Alzheimer’s, symptoms first…
Roche Holding AG said a trial of an experimental medicine for Alzheimer’s disease yielded disappointing results, adding to a long list of failures in the effort to find a treatment for the leading cause of dementia.
The study of gantenerumab in people with the early stages of Alzheimer’s was halted after an interim analysis designed to assess whether the drug was working, Basel, Switzerland-based Roche said in a statement today. Shares of MorphoSys AG, Roche’s partner on the drug, fell the most in a decade.
Enjoying our content?
Thanks for visiting Psychiatry Advisor. We hope you’re enjoying the latest clinical news, full-length features, case studies, and more.
You’ve viewed {{metering-count}} of {{metering-total}} articles this month. If you wish to read unlimited content, please log in or register below. Registration is free.
{{login-button}} {{register-button}}
Log in to continue reading this article.
Don’t miss out on today’s top content on Psychiatry Advisor. Register for free and gain unlimited access to:
- Clinical News, with personalized daily picks for you
- Evidence-Based Guidance
- Conference Coverage
- Unique Psychiatry Case Studies
- Full-Length Features
- Drug Monographs
- And More
{{login-button}} {{register-button}}
Want to read more?
Please login or register first to view this content.