Eli Lilly kick-starts speedy FDA review for Alzheimer's hopeful donanemab—and a one-on-one test against Aduhelm

The great Alzheimer's R&D resurgence continues as Eli Lilly nabs an accelerated FDA review for its mixed bag drug donanemab, while also plotting direct head-to-head tests against Biogen’s new and controversial therapy Aduhelm.

But wait, there's more. Lilly is also terminating a phase 2 Alzheimer's asset called zagotenemab after the drug failed a phase 2 clinical trial. Executives touted the therapy to Fierce Biotech as recently as September, when Mark Mintun, M.D., Sr. VP of Neuroscience R&D for Lilly, said that results for a phase 2 study of the large molecule anti-tau antibody were eagerly awaited. Lilly now says the drug "failed to meet the primary endpoint in a Phase 2 study."