Biogen won’t provide post-trial access to its failed Alzheimer’s drug

When Gottlieb put out a statement last week reminding companies that they can provide experimental drugs to certain patients even after a trial for that drug fails, I was left wondering: What if Biogen agreed to do that for its failed Alzheimer’s disease treatment, aducanumab?

As my colleague Andrew Joseph recently reported, some patients did report that they felt the drug may have helped stave off their cognitive decline, even though the trial had to be halted. But it turns out Biogen won’t be providing any post-trial access to the drug.

“This difficult decision was based on an analysis which concluded that the treatment was not slowing the progression of Alzheimer’s disease,” a Biogen spokesperson told STAT, adding that the company understands the sadness the news brings to patients.

P.S.: If you’re curious about what’s next for Alzheimer's research, you may want to tune in to today’s Senate Aging Committee hearing on that topic. And for a primer, my colleague Sharon Begley has an illuminating story on the so-called amyloid hypothesis, which has driven the bulk of recent Alzheimer's trials, including Biogen’s.