Roche and Lilly drugs chosen for major Washington University Alzheimer's prevention trial

Leading scientists at the USA's Washington University at St Louis have selected the first drugs to be evaluated in a worldwide clinical study to determine whether they can prevent Alzheimer’s disease. The pioneering trial, expected to start by early 2013, initially will test three promising drugs, each designed to target Alzheimer’s in different ways.

The investigational drugs are:

* Gantenerumab, an antibody made by Swiss drug major Roche (ROG: SIX) that binds to all forms of aggregated amyloid beta and helps remove them from the brain. Gantenerumab is currently in an international Phase III trial known as SCarlet RoAD, started in 2010, that will test the drug’s ability to stop Alzheimer’s prior to dementia.