Lilly pulls plug on development of solanezumab for pre-clinical Alzheimer's

Latest trail results show that solanezumab did not slow the progression of cognitive decline due to Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology when initiated in individuals with amyloid plaque but no clinical symptoms of the disease, known as the pre-clinical stage of admitted US pharma major Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY), which has spent a decade trying to demonstrate that the amyloid-targeting drug might slow the disease.

Since then, a new generation of therapies, including Lilly’s own candidate donanemab and Biogen (Nasdaq: BIIB) and Eisai’s (TYO: 4523) recently approved Leqembi (lecanemab), have offered hope for the amyloid theory with the idea that clearing the plaques may slow disease progression when earlier drugs did not.

Solanezumab only targets soluble amyloid beta. The treatment did not clear plaque or halt accumulation of amyloid in participants treated with the drug in the Anti-Amyloid Treatment in Asymptomatic Alzheimer's disease (A4) Study.