There may be some promising news in the works for those affected by Alzheimer's disease. Cambridge-based pharmaceutical company Biogen has just released what it's saying are hopeful test results for anew Alzheimer's drug it's developing.
Reporter Max Stendahl covers biotech for the Boston Business Journal. He sat down with WGBH All Things Considered host Barbara Howard to explain the results and what they mean.
Interview Highlights
On how the drug treats Alzheimer's
"So Biogen has been trying to develop an experimental Alzheimer's drug that would target the root cause of Alzheimer's rather than just treat the symptoms. It's drug is called aducanumab and it works by targeting the build up of this plaque called amyloid that sort of clumps up in the brain. The thinking is if you can reduce amyloid, you can slow the progression of cognitive decline in patients with Alzheimer's."
On when it could hit the market
"Well the drug is currently still in two phase three trials and we're not expected to get data from those until about 2020. SO with a caveat that these results are still somewhat early in the process, they do look promising for Biogen."
