November 01, 2013

Today's Top Alzheimer's News

Alzheimer's Disease therapies set to triple by 2022, Milwaukee editorial calls for action on dementia, and Alector LLC tackles Alzheimer's with new approach (read more). 
 

 

Must reads

  • An October 31, 2013 Pharma Times article reported that "The market for Alzheimer’s disease therapies is set to nearly triple between 2012 and 2022, despite increasing genericisation and the fact that few new product launches are expected during this time, according to new forecasts." According to the article, "The key driver of growth in the AD market will be Eli Lilly’s anti-beta-amyloid monoclonal antibody solanezumab, the first potentially disease-modifying therapy (DMT) to launch for AD, according to the study, from Decision Resources. It reports that solanezumab is expected to launch in the seven major pharmaceutical markets – the US, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the UK and Japan – starting in 2018 and that, by 2022, the drug is forecast to attain sales in excess of $5 billion in these markets."
  • An October 31, 2013 Journal-Sentinel (WI) editorial highlighted the nation's looming dementia crisis and the need to raise awareness of the disease. According to the editorial, "There is no cure or even a way to slow the progression of the disease so far, but researchers are at work on the problem, and boosting federal research funding aimed at the most promising ideas could make difference. It's worth the price because the predictions of what lies ahead are sobering…Better still would be a significant increase in federal research dollars to search for a cure.The coming dementia crisis needs to be on the radar screens of lawmakers both in Madison and in Washington, D.C."
  • An October 31, 2013 Wall Street Journal blog post reported on a new firm tackling Alzheimer's. According to the post, "Newly formed Alector LLC, which has just raised Series A financing led by OrbiMed Advisors and Polaris Partners, expects to succeed by approaching the disease differently. Alector intends to develop disease-modifying antibody therapies aimed at newly identified protein targets."