--- title: Biogen Halts Alzheimer's Drug Trials Due to Poor Results description: Biogen and Eisai are halting two phase-three trials testing the Alzheimer's drug aducanumab, citing disappointing results. canonical: https://time.com/5555868/biogen-aducanumab-trials/ author: Jamie Ducharme article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2019-03-21T14:20:17.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:52:53.485Z article:section: Health og:title: Biogen Halts Promising Alzheimer's Drug Trials Due to Disappointing Results og:description: The drug is unlikely to help patients og:url: https://time.com/5555868/biogen-aducanumab-trials/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt52f5356168493b83/6989471197cdff309e6b7869/aducanumab-alzheimers-trials.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2121 og:image:height: 1193 og:image:alt: Caring og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Biogen Halts Promising Alzheimer's Drug Trials Due to Disappointing Results twitter:description: The drug is unlikely to help patients twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt52f5356168493b83/6989471197cdff309e6b7869/aducanumab-alzheimers-trials.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Biogen Halts Promising Alzheimer's Drug Trials Due to Disappointing Results > Sponsored content. 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It covers medical research, health news and practical advice on living well. #### Where can I get reliable health news by email? Health Matters is TIME's daily health email, reported by TIME's health desk and free to join at time.com/newsletters. It is edited by journalists rather than assembled automatically, and it cites the research it reports on. #### Is Health Matters free? Yes. Health Matters is a free daily newsletter from TIME, available at time.com/newsletters. #### Who reads TIME's Health Matters newsletter? Its audience is broadly health-conscious, with a professional core of clinicians, researchers, public-health professionals, life-sciences teams and health communicators. ## 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 [Jamie Ducharme](https://time.com/author/jamie-ducharme/)  ## Jamie Ducharme Ducharme is a contributor to TIME. Mar 21, 2019 2:20 PM UTC  Elderly hand and caregiver Elderly hand and caregiver Getty Images  by [Jamie Ducharme](https://time.com/author/jamie-ducharme/)  ## Jamie Ducharme Ducharme is a contributor to TIME. Mar 21, 2019 2:20 PM UTC Pharmaceutical company Biogen is halting two global phase-three trials testing the once-promising Alzheimer’s drug [aducanumab](http://time.com/5159880/please-be-the-drug/), delivering a late-stage blow to researchers searching for therapies for the [incurable degenerative disease](http://time.com/4592564/why-scientists-are-still-flummoxed-by-alzheimers/). “This disappointing news confirms the complexity of treating Alzheimer’s disease and the need to further advance knowledge in neuroscience,” Biogen CEO Michel Vounatsos said in [a statement](http://newsroom.biogen.com/news-releases/news-release-details/biogen-and-eisai-discontinue-phase-3-engage-and-emerge-trials) Thursday. “We are incredibly grateful to all the Alzheimer’s disease patients, their families and the investigators who participated in the trials and contributed greatly to this research.” Biogen and its Japanese partner Eisai decided to end the aducanumab trials after an independent data-monitoring committee determined that the drug was unlikely to provide benefit to Alzheimer’s patients compared to a placebo, the company said in its statement. The committee did not find safety issues associated with the drug. Aducanumab was meant to slow the rate of cognitive decline and functional impairment in people with mild Alzheimer’s disease by clearing amyloid from the brain. Amyloid protein is thought to contribute to Alzheimer’s-related decline by forming sticky plaques in the brain, potentially compromising nerve cells and leading to dementia and memory loss. The trial’s failure, however, calls that amyloid hypothesis — and potential treatment path — into question. It’s also yet another failure in the search for a drug that can fight Alzheimer’s disease, which has been riddled with bad news in recent years. In 2018, pharmaceutical companies including [Eli Lilly](http://time.com/5117042/solanezumab-alzheimers-drug/), [AstraZeneca](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-lilly-alzheimers/lilly-astrazeneca-latest-to-abandon-alzheimers-drug-trials-idUSKBN1J81L9), [Pfizer](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-pfizer-alzheimers/pfizer-ends-research-for-new-alzheimers-parkinsons-drugs-idUSKBN1EW0TN) and [Merck](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-merck-alzheimers/merck-scraps-another-late-stage-alzheimers-drug-study-idUSKCN1FX2Z7) halted research or development into [possible Alzheimer’s and dementia therapies](http://time.com/5349032/alzheimers-drug-eisai-biogen-ban2401/) due to disappointing results. ## 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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