Setback in the fight against Alzheimer's as potential new drug fails clinical trial
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Alzheimer's disease, which affects millions of people all over the world, currently has no cure. While treatments and therapies can help manage some symptoms, there is still a long way to go in terms of finding an effective way to halt the progression of the disease.
The latest potential candidate for an Alzheimer's cure was developed by the Swiss pharmaceutical firm Roche.
However, hopes of this drug being the long-awaited answer were dashed when it failed global clinical trials.
Roche Pharmaceuticals, a world-leading research-driven pharmaceutical group, recently announced the failure of their latest experimental drug, gantenerumab, for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.
Initially, Roche said that the drug ‘showed no clear benefit in twin trials which explored its impact on memory, problem-solving, and other cognitive skills in people with early-stage Alzheimer’s.
‘This news is very disappointing to deliver,’ said Roche’s Chief Medical Officer, Levi Garraway.
This comes as a bit of a shock to experts who had hoped for some good news from Roche after a US-Japanese collaboration between Biogen and Eisai reported that a similar drug, lecanemab, slowed cognitive decline in patients by 27 per cent – making it the first drug proven to do so.
In two identical phase 3 trials of the drug, around 1,000 volunteers in each session received a jab of the drug or a placebo every two weeks. Then, the participants took part in tests to monitor any cognitive decline for more than two years.
‘Results from the Graduate 1 and 2 trials were not statistically reliable,’ the company said. The Swiss pharmaceutical company released the results of the trial last Monday and said that they will give more details at the Clinical Trials on Alzheimer’s Disease conference in San Francisco on November 30.
Roche’s Head of Neurodegeneration, Rachelle Doody, told reporters that the drug was less effective at removing amyloid than expected.
‘It’s just that when you don’t get the amyloid lowering that you expected you won’t get the clinical outcome that you expected.’
Dr Constantine Lyketsos, a Professor of Psychiatry at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, shared that if gantenerumab removed as much beta-amyloid as the company predicted it would, it would’ve shown a ‘degree of benefit’ in line with lecanemab.
‘In other words, a very modest but not clinically significant effect,’ the Dr explained.
Dr Richard Oakley, an Associate Director of Research at Alzheimer’s Society admitted that the results were ‘disappointing’.
However, he also said that since lecanemab showed promising results, there’s still hope to slow down the progression of Alzheimer’s in future clinical trials.
He added: ‘Alzheimer’s Society research over 30 years ago was pivotal in highlighting the importance of amyloid protein in the development of Alzheimer’s disease – laying the basis for these drugs being tested today. But it’s so important to remember we need research into other types of dementia as these drugs are only for Alzheimer’s disease.’
What are your thoughts on this, members? Let us know in the comments! You can read more about lecanemab in our previous article here.
The latest potential candidate for an Alzheimer's cure was developed by the Swiss pharmaceutical firm Roche.
However, hopes of this drug being the long-awaited answer were dashed when it failed global clinical trials.
Roche Pharmaceuticals, a world-leading research-driven pharmaceutical group, recently announced the failure of their latest experimental drug, gantenerumab, for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.
Initially, Roche said that the drug ‘showed no clear benefit in twin trials which explored its impact on memory, problem-solving, and other cognitive skills in people with early-stage Alzheimer’s.
The pharmaceutical firm carried out two identical phase III trials of the drug, with around 1,000 volunteers in each trial. Credit: Suzy Hazelwood in Pexels
‘This news is very disappointing to deliver,’ said Roche’s Chief Medical Officer, Levi Garraway.
This comes as a bit of a shock to experts who had hoped for some good news from Roche after a US-Japanese collaboration between Biogen and Eisai reported that a similar drug, lecanemab, slowed cognitive decline in patients by 27 per cent – making it the first drug proven to do so.
In two identical phase 3 trials of the drug, around 1,000 volunteers in each session received a jab of the drug or a placebo every two weeks. Then, the participants took part in tests to monitor any cognitive decline for more than two years.
According to experts, the results from the trial were not statistically reliable. Credit: Anna Shvets in Pexels
‘Results from the Graduate 1 and 2 trials were not statistically reliable,’ the company said. The Swiss pharmaceutical company released the results of the trial last Monday and said that they will give more details at the Clinical Trials on Alzheimer’s Disease conference in San Francisco on November 30.
Roche’s Head of Neurodegeneration, Rachelle Doody, told reporters that the drug was less effective at removing amyloid than expected.
‘It’s just that when you don’t get the amyloid lowering that you expected you won’t get the clinical outcome that you expected.’
Dr Constantine Lyketsos, a Professor of Psychiatry at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, shared that if gantenerumab removed as much beta-amyloid as the company predicted it would, it would’ve shown a ‘degree of benefit’ in line with lecanemab.
‘In other words, a very modest but not clinically significant effect,’ the Dr explained.
Dr Richard Oakley, an Associate Director of Research at Alzheimer’s Society admitted that the results were ‘disappointing’.
However, he also said that since lecanemab showed promising results, there’s still hope to slow down the progression of Alzheimer’s in future clinical trials.
He added: ‘Alzheimer’s Society research over 30 years ago was pivotal in highlighting the importance of amyloid protein in the development of Alzheimer’s disease – laying the basis for these drugs being tested today. But it’s so important to remember we need research into other types of dementia as these drugs are only for Alzheimer’s disease.’
