Alzheimer’s R&D projects sidelined as Biogen’s aducanumab shock shakes researchers to the core of their beliefs

As Biogen works through the fallout from the stunning implosion of its aducanumab Phase III — and its partners at Eisai bustle ahead with BAN2401 and their BACE program — the shock waves have clearly rippled to the far corners of the Alzheimer’s field. Falling on top of landmark failures for Phase III BACE studies at Merck and Eli Lilly/AstraZeneca, some of the players in Alzheimer’s have already begun to factor in the aducanumab failure on symptomatic patients in making a go/no go decision.