LLY - Has Biogen Found the Answer to Treating Alzheimer's?
For years, we've seen the failure of clinical trials targeting Alzheimer's disease based on a controversial hypothesis. Biogen's (NASDAQ: BIIB) aducanumab may become the newest addition to the list. Should shareholders be worried about a material decline in the stock price if the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rejects the drug's Biological License Application (BLA) filing?
The most common drugs in development for treating Alzheimer's disease rely on targeting plaques in the brain called beta amyloids, which are hypothesized to damage neurons and lead to chronic memory loss. The theory, however, is not well supported by experimental data.
Over the past 20 years, billions of dollars have been invested annually in potential therapies, and more than 90 clinical trials involving beta-amyloid targets have been developed. The number of drugs that have made it from clinical trials to FDA approval, however, is exactly zero. Now, Biogen's aducanumab might become another also-ran.