Roche's MAb gantenerumab seen to remove amyloid plaques from the brain of Alzheimer's patients

Swiss drug major Roche (ROG: SIX) says that its monoclonal antibody gantenerumab removes amyloid plaques from the brain of patients with Alzheimer's disease. The findings from an early-stage study titled study Mechanism of amyloid removal in patients with Alzheimer disease treated with ganteneruma, were reported in the October issue of Archives in Neurology.

It is the first time that clinical data has been published for gantenerumab, an investigational compound with a mechanism of action targeted at the early stages of Alzheimer's disease, noted Roche, which is the global leader in the cancer treatment sector but looking to move into new therapy areas.

Results from Phase I clinical trials and ex vivo studies demonstrated that gantenerumab treatment results in a dose-dependent reduction of brain amyloid, possibly through phagocytosis via brain microglial cells, whereas amyloid load increased in patients receiving placebo treatment.

Results “pave way” for novel AD treatment