Alzheimer’s drug revival prompts questions

As one door marked ‘possible Alzheimer’s treatment’ closes, it seems another has been kicked back open from the inside.

Biogen has resurrected aducanumab, an antibody that targets the plaque-forming amyloid-beta peptide. In March of this year, Biogen halted Phase III clinical trials on the antibody when preliminary data indicated that continuing would be futile. However, having looked at more data that became available after the trials ended, the company has decided things look a bit more positive. After consulting external advisors and the US Food and Drug Administration, Biogen apparently plans to file for regulatory approval next year.