Latest lecanemab findings presented as AD/AP 2022

Japan’s Eisai (TYO: 4523) and Biogen (Nasdaq: BIIB) today announced that the latest findings on lecanemab, an investigational anti-amyloid-beta (Abeta) protofibril antibody being developed for the treatment of early Alzheimer's disease (AD), were presented at the Abeta Targeted Therapies in AD 2 Symposium at the 2022 International Conference on Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Diseases (AD/PD) March 15-20 in Barcelona, Spain and virtually.

Just last week, the companies revealed that they had amended their 50:50 profit sharing deal on Alzheimer’s drug Aduhelm (aducanumab) and lecanemab, with Eisai to serve as the lead for lecanemab development and regulatory submissions. Biogen and Eisai started a rolling submission for the drug (formerly BAN2401) with the Food and Drug Administration in September last year, based on the results of a Phase II trial – Study 201 – that showed a dose-dependent reduction in amyloid plaques in the brain that are a feature of Alzheimer’s, as well as a slowdown in cognitive decline.

Four key symposium presentations explored how lecanemab's clinical efficacy data, overall amyloid-related imaging abnormality (ARIA) rates, biomarker relationships to clinical outcomes, potential dosing regimens, and administration have the potential to benefit people living with early AD.

1. BioArctic's Professor Lars Lannfelt presented the science of the amyloid cascade and studies evaluating lecanemab's distinct binding profile to antibodies created from patented sequences of two other clinical antibodies, aducanumab and gantenerumab. The three antibodies have different binding profiles to Abeta species. All three antibodies bind to fibrils, but with different selectivity. Lecanemab was the strongest Abeta binder and prefers protofibrils. Lecanemab's binding profile is critical to enriching our understanding of the features in clinical outcomes and safety. BioArctic has had a long-term collaboration with Eisai regarding the development and commercialization of drugs for the treatment of AD.

2. Innovative Bayesian Adaptive Randomization Design and Dose Regimen-Finding Study with OLE - Study 201 (published by Eisai in Alz Res Therapy 13;21) was prospectively designed as a blinded 18-month study. To accelerate the development program, Eisai used a Bayesian adaptive design with a prespecified 12-month Bayesian primary endpoint in addition to the prespecified traditional analysis at the end of the 18-month treatment period.

3. Abeta42/40 and P-Tau181 are plasma biomarkers that signal sequential changes in AD progression. Lecanemab has an effect on these plasma biomarkers as amyloid plaque reduction is related to soluble amyloid and P-Tau. Lecanemab has a dose- and time-dependent reduction of amyloid plaques with a correlated increase in plasma Abeta42/40 and a decrease in plasma P-Tau181.