Lundbeck touts success of mid-stage Alzheimer's study

Lundbeck is touting mid-stage data underscoring the effectiveness of its experimental Alzheimer's drug Lu AE58054 for improving cognition and the quality of life for patients. 

A total of 278 Alzheimer's patients were recruited for the placebo-controlled study, which combined its selective 5HT6 receptor antagonist with a maintenance dose of donepezil. No data from the study was released, though, and Lundbeck says it will discuss specific outcomes at an upcoming scientific meeting. Company officials say they're laying the foundation for pivotal studies, with an eye on forging partnerships for the program.

"These results are very encouraging, and we are now evaluating how to best proceed with the development of Lu AE58054," says Lundbeck Executive Vice President Anders Gersel Pedersen. "We believe that there is a strong need for better treatments for patients with Alzheimer's disease, and Lundbeck sees Lu AE58054 as a potential new treatment option for this devastating disease."

Alzheimer's has long been one of the holy grails of drug developers. Johnson & Johnson ($JNJ) and Pfizer ($PFE) are partnered on a late-stage program for bapineuzumab that will wrap this summer, alongside Eli Lilly's ($LLY) Phase III for solanezumab. But the field is littered with the wreckage of failed trials, leading a number of analysts to conclude that this latest late-stage attempt is also likely to meet failure.

- here's the press release
- here's the story from Reuters