More dramatically, Eisai and Biogen released positive results in a Phase 3 Alzheimer’s disease trial for the beta?amyloid?targeted antibody, lecanemab, that showed a remarkable 27% reduction in cognitive decline after 18 months. This data was precedent setting
the first registrational trial ever to show true disease modification in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. The benefits of lecanemab therapy began to appear as early as six months – and the benefit continued to increase at 12 and 18 months – suggesting a duration of efficacy beyond the parameters of the trial. Moreover, the results were highly statistically significant, indicating that this effect should be very reproducible across the spectrum of patients with mild-to-moderate disease and provide confidence to prescribing physicians and caregivers that a clinically meaningful impact will be observed. Finally, we note that the safety of lecanemab also <mark style="background-color:yellow">exceeded</mark> expectations, with the incidence of symptomatic brain swelling being exceptionally low. The full data set will be released in late November 2022 and is likely sufficient to warrant FDA approval. Overall, we view this result as an unequivocal win for the companies and patients, but a big win for the healthcare sector as the consensus expectation was that this trial would fail.