--- title: Drug Shows Promise in Early Studies to Treat Alzheimer’s description: Researchers at the Alzheimer’s Association annual meeting reported encouraging results for a drug that could be among the first to treat the disease canonical: https://time.com/5349032/alzheimers-drug-eisai-biogen-ban2401/ author: Alice Park article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-07-26T02:19:27.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:53:17.275Z article:section: Health og:title: Drug Shows Promise in Early Studies to Treat Alzheimer’s og:description: The results could serve as a catalyst for hope after years of frustration og:url: https://time.com/5349032/alzheimers-drug-eisai-biogen-ban2401/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2d666d05c42dfc4a/698936414ee26254df3126a6/gettyimages-848377904.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 6000 og:image:height: 3375 og:image:alt: Helping supportive hand og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Drug Shows Promise in Early Studies to Treat Alzheimer’s twitter:description: The results could serve as a catalyst for hope after years of frustration twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2d666d05c42dfc4a/698936414ee26254df3126a6/gettyimages-848377904.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # New Drug Shows Promise in Early Studies to Treat Alzheimer’s > Sponsored content. 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Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ## Video: Alzheimer's New Hope [Watch (HLS stream): Alzheimer's New Hope](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/Dz6EZRwJ.m3u8) (6:48)  _Published 2018-02-14. TIME follows a patient as he begins a drug trial that could offer groundbreaking treatment of Alzheimer's_  by [Alice Park](https://time.com/author/alice-park/)  ## Alice Park Senior Correspondent Jul 26, 2018 2:19 AM UTC  Young woman holding elder hands Young woman holding elder hands Jasmin Merdan—Getty Images  by [Alice Park](https://time.com/author/alice-park/)  ## Alice Park Senior Correspondent Jul 26, 2018 2:19 AM UTC There hasn’t been much good news lately on the Alzheimer’s drug front, with a number of companies either abandoning their Alzheimer’s research efforts or stopping studies of experimental medications. Over the summer, Eli Lilly and AstraZeneca PLC [terminated their development ](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-lilly-alzheimers/lilly-astrazeneca-latest-to-abandon-alzheimers-drug-trials-idUSKBN1J81L9)of an experimental treatment when studies failed to show improvement in people with early signs of cognitive impairment. In January, [Pfizer closed its neurodegenerative disease research](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-pfizer-alzheimers/pfizer-ends-research-for-new-alzheimers-parkinsons-drugs-idUSKBN1EW0TN), and a month later, Merck stopped development of its Alzheimer’s drug candidate after disappointing results. But at the [annual meeting ](https://alz.org/aaic/2018%5Fmedia%5Fcoverage.asp)of the Alzheimer’s Association in Chicago, there was some encouraging news about an anti-amyloid drug being tested by Eisai, a Japanese company, and Biogen, based in Massachusetts. The compound, BAN2401, is an antibody designed to stick to amyloid, the protein that builds up in the brain and can lead to sticky plaques that compromise nerve cells. The study involved people with mild cognitive impairment (which can be the gateway to dementia and Alzheimer’s dementia) or mild Alzheimer’s dementia, and according to the latest results, people treated with the experimental therapy showed a decrease in amyloid in the brain after 18 months compared to people treated with placebo. The treated group also showed slower declines on cognitive test scores at the end of the study, although the study did not have enough people to make this change statistically significant. The data was more encouraging than the 12-month results, which the companies released last December, in which they failed to find a meaningful difference in the people who were treated compared to the people who were not. But the longer time period showed some encouraging declines in the amount of amyloid in the brain, and some hopeful slowing of cognitive decline in the people receiving the drug. Of nearly 900 people randomly assigned to receive one of several doses of BAN2401 or placebo, those receiving the highest dose, 10 mg/kg bi-weekly, showed anywhere from 30% to 47% slower decline in two different batteries of cognitive tests that assessed memory, word recall and other functions. And among those who got the drug, 81% converted from showing positive amyloid in brain scans at the beginning of the study to becoming negative for amyloid after 18 months. That’s promising, since researchers believe that amyloid is a key contributor to the deteriorating brain functions typical of dementia and Alzheimer’s. The results should serve as a catalyst for hope after years of frustration. BAN2401 belongs to a group of drugs that could be the first to treat Alzheimer’s rather than simply address its symptoms, as current therapies do. By reducing the buildup of amyloid plaque in the brain, the drug could slow the progression of the disease, and, if introduced early enough, perhaps even help some people to avoid its most devastating symptoms of memory loss and cognitive decline. More data needs to be collected on BAN2401 in coming years, as it moves into the next phase of human testing. Researchers said they will continue to analyze the data with specifics to when during the disease process the drug is started, as well as whether people were taking other treatments for Alzheimer’s symptoms. The Alzheimer’s Association noted that BAN2401 is the second experimental drug to show effectiveness in reducing amyloid burden in the brain. The first was [aducanumab, which is also being developed and tested ](http://time.com/5159880/please-be-the-drug/)by the same two companies in a more advanced phase 3 trial. Final results from that study are expected in 2020. If both experimental drugs continue to show promise in reducing amyloid in the brain and, perhaps just as important, in slowing the decline of cognitive skills such as memory, the drugs could become important as a preemptive strike against Alzheimer’s. Experts may consider using the drugs even earlier in the disease; advances in ways to diagnose Alzheimer’s as early as possible, even before memory symptoms start to become obvious, could make earlier treatment possible too. ## Transcript [ MUSIC ] Joanne and I both went to the University of Michigan. I did not know here there. She was already hooked up with another guy. [ LAUGH ] But as soon as I saw her, I wanted to know that woman. And so, Peter came and started talking to me, and he said would you like to come to a party with me. And I said no, I am sorry, I can't. And I said no, I am sorry, I can't all the way the party. Most probably the closest thing to loving at first sight. When we got closer, and closer together, and decided to marry. And then have a child, and- That was 57 years ago, so it's beginning to look like it might work out. [ LAUGH ] [ MUSIC ] [ BLANK_AUDIO ] You are more worried about me than I am. Well I find that, Peter, it gets frustrated Easily. More so? Yes, and you know his frustration comes out in anger if something doesn't work out really well. That's been happening. And a little more memory trouble you think? Yes, I do. When I found out that I had Alzheimer's it was definitely a big shock. Yeah, it's nothing you can fool around with. Knowing more about it, there isn't any solution at this point in time. It was a hard day, but then we decided, okay, now we know. What can we do about it? This medicine with a funny name called Aducanumab was developed with a really interesting aproach where they looked at older people who had lived a long life And either didn't develop Alzheimer's or had a very slow form of Alzheimer's, something that's retarding Alzheimer's or protecting against Alzheimer's. And they identified a number of antibodies that might fight the Alzheimer process. What's been so exciting about it is that this medicine seem to slow down memory loss hospital. Do you like to color at all? Yeah. We've got some coloring books. This study, we've been doing this for probably two and a half year and people there randomized. They receive the medicine or they're receiving placebo and they won't know and the nurse and the investigators here won't know either. [ BLANK_AUDIO ] Do you guys know what infusion number this is? 30. I started in November, so one infusion a month would be ten. Is that right? Yeah, November, December, January, Feburary, March, April, May, June, July, August That's how I do it. [ LAUGH ] It's unchartered teritory for me so you don't really know where this is gonn lead you or you'll end up and surely there has to be a cure, that's my attitude and if I can help to Natures the discovery so much the better. We designed this- So awesome. This we did for dance platterware. Actually this are- It's got a natural band in the back for your hand this way when you cut with the knife. Peter has never had a great memory but obviously things were getting worse and in terms of work, you could see the difference in this trying to remember where job was left off and what needed to be done. And the interesting part about it is it never diminish Computers design sense and his ability to be creative. Now he may not be able to tell you when the next meeting was or what was to be discussed in the meeting. But as far as design was concerned, he never lost that. [ UNKNOWN ] left here? Yes, yes, sweetie The way we [ INAUDIBLE ]. I can't specifically remember a point in time. It seems like a slow evolution. I was excellent with the sense of direction when driving. That's just gone away now. I don't wanna lose my driving skills. I mean I wanna have that independence. The study lasts for four years. And, so it's now been what, 15 months. Peter is still driving but only with me in the car. So that has changed in that we're together 24 / 7. If I go to have my hair cut, Peter comes with me. If he goes to have his hair cut, I go with him. And it does, really, I have to say, it does increase the bond. The adversity can really, sometimes, make you closer. Hi, Dr. [ UNKNOWN ], how are you? Hello, hi, how are you doing? Good to see you. Thanks for doing all these wonderful things. We're happy to participate. That's great. Happy to further the cause. Yeah, I feel this actually As just participating is a breakthrough . >> Yeah. Yeah . >> Because people thought Alzheimers forget about it, can't do anything about it, not even worth trying . >> Right . >> And so what we are doing is changing the narrative . >> Now, I understsood from whern we first talked to you , >> Yes . >> That after 18 months of Peter having started the program , >> Right . >> That we then find out whether or not Peter has been getting a placebo or [ CROSSTALK ] I'm glad you brought that up, so I can clarify that. [ LAUGH ] Well, what is true, after 18 months, you can continue receiving the medicine every month as you are now, but you're guaranteed to get the medicine. You won't find out your original assignment until the data's reported for the whole trial. I see. Okay. Then you'll know. That's when the results become available. We won't know until then, that's how it works. Yeah, okay. Peter says that he's always the glass is half full kind of guy. And I'm always the glass is half empty kind of woman. So, I worry a lot that he's getting a placebo, but we really don't know. Well, I feel like I have a responsibility to be in the trial, and yeah, I would love to be the beneficiary. But that wasn't the Main reason. Well I certainly have area expectation that there will be some happy ending to it. It may not be a cure, but that at the end of the four years, Peter is still Peter. 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