USA2 SPOTLIGHT

A March 22, 2019 Biopharma Dive article looked at the current state of Alzheimer’s disease clinical trials after Biogen and Eisai announced they are discontinuing their aducanumab AD drug trials. “Your heart has to go out to all of the people who put their life on hold and committed for a long period of time to monthly infusions. This failure is on a personal level to them and, quite frankly, to the Biogen employees who for 10 years have been working on this product,” said UsAgainstAlzheimer's Chairman George Vradenburg. And looking to the future he added, “You're going to see some new names and some new methods of action being tested. We're continually hopeful that somebody out there still wants to win the Nobel Prize.”

RESEARCH AND SCIENCE

A March 25, 2019 Nature editorial highlighted the importance of neurogenesis in the hippocampus, which stores and retrieves human memories, and is greatly affected by Alzheimer’s disease. The theory thatnew neurons might be born in the hippocampus throughout adult life is debated, however new research raises the possibility that halting or reversing the decline of neurogenesis might help slow Alzheimer’s disease. According to the article, “Whether or not a focus on neurogenesis leads to a therapy, the latest study adds to substantial research suggesting that treatments for Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases could be found by shifting attention away from the usual suspects to different targets. And that will require studying the rich biology — and every fold — of the human brain.”

FINANCES

A March 26, 2019 Market Watch article cautioned against believing that Biogen’s announcement last week (abandoning aducanumab) was the death knell for all anti-beta-amyloid Alzheimer’s disease drugs. Anti-beta-amyloid trials still forge ahead, focusing more on earlier intervention and prevention, in addition to trials on drugs restoring the brain’s immune system, targeting inflammation, and combination target drugs. “The main reason targeting amyloid has failed isn’t because it’s biologically implausible, but because trials are targeting it too late in the disease. The most advanced shots on goal are still amyloid approaches, whether investors like it or not,” said AD researcher Dr. Dennis Selkoe of Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

INDUSTRY UPDATE

A March 25, 2019 Seeking Alpha article turned to the future in the wake of the aducanumab news and posed the question, “Why is Wall St. still so bullish around these therapies that have continuously proven to us that they fail?” Eisai continues forward with another anti-amyloid-beta clinical trial, as does AC Immune. But anti-tau antibodies are starting to gain ground as well. According to the article, “I do not believe anyone should speculate on Crenezumab, other anti-amyloid beta antibodies (looking at you Eisai), anti-tau monoclonal antibody, small molecule tau/amyloid beta cleavage inhibitors, and the like. Time and time again speculators miss big on this… Are patients, or more importantly insurances, going to pay exorbitant prices for a therapy to prevent Alzheimer’s?”

MUST WATCH

A March 22, 2019 Being Patient video chat spoke with Jeff and Kimberly Borghoff. Jeff was a participant for the past three years in Biogen’s recently canceled aducanumab drug trial. They talk with Founder Deborah Kan about the experience.