Biogen’s Aduhelm shown to reduce clinical decline in Alzheimer’s disease
pharmafile | November 12, 2021 | News story | Medical Communications |
New ADUHELM (aducanumab-avwa) Phase III data has shown a positive correlation between plasma p-tau reduction and less cognitive and functional decline in Alzheimer’s disease, according to a recent Biogen press release.
The Phase III trial found that ADUHELM significantly lowered blood levels of an abnormal form of the protein tau. Reductions in plasma p-tau 181 were also correlated with a lowering of amyloid beta plaque.
The analysis showed that ADUHELM significantly reduced tau pathology, a defining feature of Alzheimer’s disease, as measured by p-tau181, compared to placebo. The effect was greater with higher doses and longer duration of ADUHELM treatment. Greater reduction in plasma p-tau181 also had a statistically significant correlation with less decline in cognition and function in ADUHELM-treated patients.
The results also demonstrated a statistically significant correlation between change in plasma p-tau181 and the lowering of amyloid beta plaque – showing the effect of ADUHELM on the two primary pathological features of Alzheimer’s disease.
“We now have robust and concordant data that ADUHELM has effect on two core defining pathologies of Alzheimer’s disease, and substantial evidence of treatment correlation between changes in plasma p-tau181 and the slowing of disease progression,” said Alfred Sandrock, Jr, MD, PhD, Head of Research and Development at Biogen.
“We are committed to continuing to generate data, and we believe these new findings can help inform treatment choice and advance Alzheimer’s research including in diagnosis and disease monitoring.”
Oskar Hansson, MD, PhD, Professor of Neurology at Lund University and Skåne University Hospital, Sweden, who led the CTAD conference where the findings were presented last week, added: “These data not only show an important link between the ability of ADUHELM to clear amyloid beta plaque and reduce plasma p-tau levels, but also significantly correlate those reductions with slowing cognitive decline.
“Having research from nearly two thousand patients provides invaluable insights into the dynamics of the interconnected pathologies within this complex disease.”
Lina Adams
