Eli Lilly Releasing Results From Clinical Trial of Solanezumab

The American global pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly is releasing results from a clinical trial of solanezumab. Solanezumab binds the amyloid-? peptides that aggregate and form plaques in the brain that are an early pathological feature of Alzheimer's disease.

The researchers associated with the trial stated that for the trial they focused on two major approaches i.e. involving getting rid of the plaques, and developing drugs that counter the memory loss caused by the Alzheimer’s disease.

Researchers noted that if it is given in the early stage of the disease it slowed down the rate of deterioration of the brain cells resulting in more time for the patients to remain lucid.

The company earlier reported that after the first six months of the extension study, patients who had taken solanezumab continued to show a greater benefit as compared to those who switched to the drug later.

Scientists associated with the study stated that the experimental drug called the Eli Lilly drug, Solanezumab, is intravenously infused and emphasizes on binding the amyloid and tries to remove it from the brain.

As per Lilly, nearly 25% of patients in the failed earlier expedition studies actually had no beta amyloid deposits, and therefore would not have benefited from solanezumab.

Researchers compared people who got the drug right away in the trial with those who had been taking placebo giving the drug to all the patients to see if there might be a difference.

Dr. Eric Karran, director of research at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said it is the first evidence of something genuinely modifying the disease process.