Drug may hold off Alzheimer’s

Researchers will provide clues about whether Eli LillyLLY 0.23 % & Co.’s risky bet on an experimental drug for Alzheimer’s disease ultimately pays off-for patients and for Lilly’s bottom line.

Researchers are going to show results from one clinical trial for this drug, solanezumab in Washington at Alzheimer’s Association worldwide Conference.

A NEW drug that appears to slow or block Alzheimer’s disease may soon offer hope of progress against what is becoming one of humanity’s greatest scourges. Current treatments for Alzheimer’s can alleviate symptoms but don’t slow underlying disease progression.

Nearly everyone is aware of the debilitating form of dementia known as Alzheimer’s disease. Companies have scrapped a number of drugs in the past which showed promise before eventually failing during clinical trials.

Despite setbacks, the pharmaceutical industry is continuing to hunt for treatments that are better due to limitations of current treatments. And a huge market opportunity awaits drugs that can slow or halt disease progression.

The anticipation for this data is one of the reasons why Lilly’s shares have risen by 26% till now and hit a 10 year high recently as well. Positive results would bolster the outlook for the Indianapolis company’s sales and earnings as it tries to move past patent expirations for older blockbusters.

Seizing from that, Lilly made a decision to continue the development of the treatment for patients with mild Alzheimer’s despite high costs.

In two large trials reported during 2012, the drug was not able to significantly slow down the functional and cognitive abilities decline amongst the overall patient population that had mild or moderate Alzheimer’s.

In a final sentence, they added: “This is thought consistent with a treatment effect that changes the underlying pathology of Alzheimer’s disease”. Scientists at Ulster and Lancaster Universities found that diabetes drugs Liraglutide and Lixisenatide prevent amyloid plaques forming in mice.

The medicines bind to beta amyloid in slightly different ways, but both companies are treating patients in the earlier stages of Alzheimer’s disease.