Alzheimer’s drug from Roche shows potential in early study

An experimental Alzheimer’s therapy from Roche successfully cleared a protein that’s a hallmark of the disease from patients’ brains, the company reported Wednesday, adding to evidence that the drug shows promise.

The data are from an early-stage trial and so far Roche has not assessed whether there has been any corresponding change in cognitive function or disease progression. But U.S. regulators have in recent years approved similar medicines that can reduce levels of the protein, called amyloid, in patients’ brains and that in trials modestly slowed the worsening of Alzheimer’s.

What’s more, the early findings of Roche’s treatment, an antibody called trontinemab, suggest it could be safer than some of the other amyloid-clearing treatments, although larger studies would need to confirm that. In particular, there have been comparatively few cases of an issue called ARIA, a type of brain swelling or bleeding, that has been seen with the other antibodies and that has led regulators in some parts of the world to take negative views of the existing drugs.