Eisai's follow-up to Aricept shows promise in Alzheimer's

Eisai (TYO:4523) has presented promising new data on its b eta amyloid cleaving enzyme (BACE) inhibitor elenbecestat (E2609) at the 9th Clinical Trials on Alzheimer's Disease (CTAD) meeting in San Diego, California.

The Japanese company showed off data from two clinical trials, firstly highlighting analysis of pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamics data from the Phase II Study 202. The study is aimed at establishing the safety of elenbecestat, as well as the change in amyloid beta (Aβ) levels in the spinal fluid. A decrease in these levels was seen in the patients given the drug, consistent with findings from a Phase I trial.

The second poster presented was from a bridging study, and showed that there were no differences in the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics between Japanese and white populations. A decrease in plasma Aβ1-x level was observed in Japanese subjects, increasing in line with the dose given (5, 50 or 200mg).