Biogen Inc (NASDAQ:BIIB) shares rose over 5% as latest trial data from a new early onset Alzheimer’s treatment showed meaningful improvements in those taking the drug.
Leaked ahead of an official announcement, the results showed Aducanumab slowed the mental decline of patients.
While only the early stages of a much larger trial, the results showed a continued improvement in cognition through prolonged used and a reduction in amyloid plaque, one of causes of the decline in mental function.
Gradually increasing the dose rather than starting at a high level appeared to cause less risk of brain swelling than higher fixed doses, the 12 month study indicated.
Alzheimer’s affects almost 50mln people worldwide and a number of pharmas have new treatments in the pipeline, all of which have different approaches to the disease.
So far though almost all attempts have failed, with the latest flop Eli Lilly’s Solanezumab. It had almost no impact on the amyloids in the brain though was effective elsewhere.
Biogen’s new treatment specifically targets amyloid plaque in the brain and Eli Lilly’s failure had led to doubts this was the right approach to tackle Alzheimer’s, but this latest data will spark a re-assessment suggested analysts.