Alzheimer’s R&D faces a major setback as Eli Lilly and AstraZeneca drop two late-stage drug trials of an experimental Alzheimer’s drug they were co-developing. This is the latest setback in the quest to finding a breakthrough for the memory-diminishing disease.
What is Alzheimer’s Disease?
Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive disease that destroys memory and other important mental functions. It often begins with mild confusion and forgetfulness, but eventually it leads to forgetting important people and underdoing dramatic personality changes. It is estimated that every 66 seconds, a new case of Alzheimer’s is diagnosed in the United States. People with Alzheimer’s may experience:
- Depression and anxiety
- Social withdrawal
- Mood swings
- Irritability and aggressiveness
- Wandering
- Changes in sleeping habits
- Delusions
The brain disease affects an estimated five million Americans and has been so tough for the pharmaceutical industry to crack because both scientists and medical professionals don’t even fully understand what causes the disease.
The Path to a Cure
For years, big pharma companies, such as Pfizer, Eli Lilly, and AstraZeneca, have held clinical trials for Alzheimer drugs designed to treat symptoms of Alzheimer’s. The FDA approved the first drug, “tactrine,” in 1993 and approved four more during the next decade. In 2003, the Alzheimer’s Association and the National Institute on Aging started accepting people into the National Alzheimer’s Disease Genetic Study to take and test blood samples to find genes that may make someone more likely to develop Alzheimer’s. In 2011, President Obama signed into law, the National Alzheimer’s Project Act (NAPA) to outline a strategy for research and address support for people caring for people with the disease. The National Alzheimer’s Plan was later released and set a goal of creating Alzheimer’s Disease prevention methods by 2025.
Here we are, in 2018, and research has been set back yet again. Current available treatments for the disease can alleviate symptoms, but they cannot slow down the condition’s underlying progression. Eli Lilly and AstraZeneca thought their latest late-stage drug trials would begin to slow down the progression, but it failed, like the other 99% of Alzheimer’s drugs that have been tested. Eli Lilly has spent hundreds of millions of dollars to find a breakthrough for this horrific, memory-robbing disease, but they’re still waiting for that investment to pay off and those who suffer from the disease are still waiting for a cure.
Hovde Dassow + Deets: Indiana Pharmaceutical Attorneys
If you believe that you or a loved one has suffered adverse effects from pharmaceuticals, you are encouraged to contact the law firm of Hovde Dassow + Deets today at (317) 576-3241, initial, and confidential consultation to discuss your case.