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 The Copenhagen-based company said on Thursday both doses of the
drug, idalopirdine, showed a "weak efficacy profile" and failed to
reduce cognitive decline measured on a scale called ADAS-cog in the
study named Starshine.
Idalopirdine, which is being developed with Japan's Otsuka
Pharmaceutical Co Ltd, is being tested in patients with mild to
moderate Alzheimer's disease.
Finding an effective therapy for the disease is a holy grail for the
pharma industry, since any successful product is likely to become a
multibillion-dollar-a-year seller.
Scientists, however, are still struggling to fully understand the
condition, even as global cases of dementia are expected to treble
by 2050.
Lundbeck added that idalopirdine was safe and well-tolerated. The
company was testing the drug in combination with donepezil, a
compound that forms the core of Pfizer Inc's Alzheimer's treatment
Aricept.
Lundbeck, which closed up about 1 percent at 271.70 Danish crowns,
also said two other late-stage studies of idalopirdine would
continue as planned and it expected results from them in the first
quarter of 2017.
"We are disappointed about the outcome of this study," said Dr.
Anders Gersel Pedersen, Chief Scientific Officer at Lundbeck. "The
phase II data were very encouraging but unfortunately, these data
failed to replicate those findings."
Analysts noted that Lundbeck had to lower its dosage from the
mid-stage study, due to liver toxicity concerns.
RBC Capital Markets analysts wrote that Thursday's news suggested
low-dose idalopirdine may not be effective enough to hit the primary
endpoint in the remaining trials.
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The news of the failed late-stage study sent shares of Axovant
Sciences Ltd, which is developing a similar drug, down 14 percent.
Baird analysts wrote in a client note that Axovant share reaction
was unwarranted, as there are some key differences on dosing, among
others, that differentiate the two drugs.
As with cancer, many experts believe combinations of medicines, each
having different mechanisms, will be needed to combat Alzheimer's
progress, or stop it in its tracks.
Long-awaited late-stage results from Eli Lilly and Co's experimental
drug solanezumab, which is being tested in patients with mild
Alzheimer's, is expected to be announced in the fourth quarter.
(Additional reporting by Vidya L Nathan in Bengaluru; Editing by
Shounak Dasgupta)
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