Alzheimer's Society responds to Biogen, Aducanumab results at Clinical Trials on Alzheimer's Disease Conference (CTAD)

Dr James Pickett, Head of Research at Alzheimer’s Society said:

'The results presented at CTAD today were of two trials of the anti-amyloid drug aducanumab that were stopped in March 2019 because they were deemed unlikely to work at that time.

'Following the results presented today, it’s not possible to be sure whether people in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease would meaningfully benefit from aducanumab. The drug company is collecting more data which may help further answer this question over the coming months. It’s now also the role of the drug regulators to scrutinise the data to find out if on balance, there is a benefit to people with Alzheimer’s disease.

With very few other treatment options for Alzheimer’s people may ask ‘What is there to be lost?’ in making this drug available now, but it’s crucial we fully understand the impact and safety of this drug. We await the outcomes of discussions with the FDA in USA and European Medical Agency next year.

'Whatever the fate of aducanumab may be, without dementia research we simply would not have reached this point. Alzheimer’s Society was part of a pivotal genetic discovery for the first Alzheimer’s gene in the 1990s, which paved the way for anti-amyloid drugs like the one announced by Biogen. We are committed to supporting ground breaking research so that we can bring new treatments to everyone affected by dementia.'