Roche ends Phase III trial of gantenerumab in prodromal Alzheimer's disease

Swiss drug major Roche (ROG: SIX) is to end the Phase III study of experimental anti-amyloid drug gantenerumab in prodromal Alzheimer’s disease.

The decision was reached following a planned futility analysis and the recommendation made by the independent data monitoring committee. No new safety signals for the drug were observed in the study, and the overall safety profile was comparable to Phase I results.

Shares in Roche fell as much as 6.1% on Friday Friday (when the company also posted disappointing results with its HER2 breast cancer drug Kadcyla), and Roche’s chief medical officer, Sandra Horning, said: "we are disappointed with these study results.”