Eli Lilly and Co (NYSE:LLY) announced promising results for its experimental Alzheimer's drug, donanemab, in a closely watched late-stage trial.
The drug met all goals of the trial and showed significant promise as an effective treatment for Alzheimer's disease.
According to the company, the drug slowed Alzheimer's progression by 35% in 1,182 people diagnosed with early-stage disease based on scans showing brain deposits of amyloid protein and intermediate levels of tau protein.
The study also involved a smaller group of people with higher levels of tau protein, indicating a later stage of the disease. Including both groups, results demonstrated that donanemab slowed progression of Alzheimer's by 22% using a Lilly-developed scale to measure cognition and activities of daily living, and by 29% based on a more commonly used scale of dementia progression.
The news was encouraging for Alzheimer's researchers.
"These are the strongest phase 3 data for an Alzheimer's treatment to date," said Maria Carrillo, chief science officer for the Alzheimer's Association.
Shares of Eli Lilly and Co (NYSE:LLY) increased by 5.2% in premarket trading Wednesday.
Rival Biogen, whose Alzheimer’s candidate Leqembi was associated with brain swelling in nearly 13% of its study participants in a Phase 3 trial, fell 2.5% after Eli Lilly’s announcement. In comparison, Eli Lilly said the incidence of serious brain swelling in the donanemab study was 1.6%.
Eli Lilly plans to file for traditional US approval by the end of June, with regulators from other countries shortly thereafter.
Over six million Americans are living with Alzheimer's, and the number is projected to rise to nearly 13 million by 2050, according to the Alzheimer's Association.
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