High hopes for Alzheimer's treatments
(an experimental blood test)
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Semagacestat was the furthest Alzheimer’s treatment in development when Lilly announced in 2010 that some analyses of its late-stage clinical trial data indicated patients in the experimental treatment group fared worse on cognitive symptoms than those taking a placebo. Patients taking the compound also seemed have an increased rate of skin cancer. Based on that information, Lilly stopped the trial and dumped semagacestat.
This latest revelation raises serious questions about the efficacy and safety of the many others in the same class of drug, gamma secretase inhibitors, still being developed. Although some being studied act somewhat differently than semagacestat, the new data raises the hurdle for future development of the compounds, according to Eric Siemers, Lilly’s senior medical director for Alzheimer’s disease.
Despite this warning, Bristol-Myers is plowing ahead with the development of its secretase inhibitor. The company recently said its compound showed similar side effects and brain functioning as those taking a placebo, although the mid-stage test wasn’t big enough to show whether the drug works, according to researchers. Continue to read: money.msn.com
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