The clinical pipeline for Alzheimer’s disease: Data Byte

Although amyloid-lowering agents still represent the lion’s share of late-stage candidates for Alzheimer’s disease, they account for less than 20% of compounds across all clinical stages. Tau inhibition, modulation of neurotransmitter signaling, and quelling of neuroinflammation are all mechanisms with nearly as much activity.

On Saturday,  Eli Lilly and Co. (NYSE:LLY) presented data showing its anti-amyloid donanemab led to a 32% reduction in cognitive and functional decline in a Phase II study. The findings bolster the beleaguered amyloid hypothesis, while simultaneously suggesting, particularly when taken together with aducanumab data from Biogen Inc. (NASDAQ:BIIB), that the target is not the path to a large effect size. Aducanumab has a PDUFA date of June 7. Lilly is running a larger, confirmatory Phase II trial of donanemab. ...