The new Alzheimer’s drug Bapineuzumab has not lead to significant improvements.
Bapineuzumab – an intravenous Alzheimer’s medication – recently went through a phase 3 trial in patients with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s disease whom did not carry the ApoE4 genotype (ApoE4 is thought to increase a person’s chance of developing Alzheimer’s and may worsen symptoms) announced Pfizer Inc. and Johnson & Johnson. The results show that Bapineuzumad did not reach the results they wanted in improving cognitive and functional performance when compared to subjects who took the placebo.
“We are obviously very disappointed in the outcomes of this trial. We are also saddened by the lost opportunity to provide a meaningful advance for patients affected with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s disease and their caregivers. Yet with this data, and the subgroup and biomarker analysis underway, will further inform our understanding of this complex disease and advance research in this field.” Said Dr. Steven J. Romano, senior vice president, head, Medicines Development Group, Global Primary Care Business Unit, Pfizer Inc.
Side Effects to Bapineuzumab Include:
Pneumonia
ARIA-E (Anyloid-related imaging abnormalities like edema or effusion, or abnormalities observed in MRI scans)
Fainting
Hip Fractures
Convulsions
The studies of the Alzheimer’s medication Bapineuzumab have been discontinued.
Bapineuzumab was a promising new treatment for Alzheimer’s, a disease that affects about 5.4 million Americans and is the sixth leading cause of death.
Other Alzheimer’s treatments being tested are: Solanezumab by Eli Lilly and Co. and Gammagard by Baxter International Inc.
