Alzheimer’s drug trial electrifies

Abstract

A potential Alzheimer’s disease treatment called BAN2401 is causing both excitement and criticism after Eisai, a Japanese drug company, presented data from a clinical trial suggesting the treatment slows cognitive decline and clears the amyloid-β proteins that congest the brains of people with the disease. “It was a very impressive data set—better than expected,” says Dennis Selkoe, a Harvard University neurologist who saw the results of the 18-month Phase IIb trial presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Chicago. “They didn’t cure the disease by any means, but this will probably be the strongest data yet for a disease-modifying Alzheimer’s treatment.” BAN2401, an antibody being developed by Eisai and Biogen, targets amyloid-β, a strategy that has caused high-profile failures at other drug companies. Brain imaging in the new study revealed that 80% of people on the highest dose were amyloid-negative by 18 months. Perhaps more importantly, the highest dose