Biogen revealed mixed findings on Thursday from a mid-stage clinical trial evaluating a potential Alzheimer’s treatment that targets the tau protein. Like amyloid, tau is toxic to neurons and is implicated in the cognitive decline associated with the disease.
The Phase 2 study assessed Biogen’s experimental drug, diranersen (also known as BIIB080), which demonstrated a reduction in tau levels in both spinal fluid and brain tissue among patients with early-stage Alzheimer’s. These reductions were also linked to a deceleration in cognitive decline, according to the company.
In the trial, Biogen tested three escalating dosing regimens. Notably, the lowest dose yielded the most favorable outcomes. However, this outcome led to the study failing to meet its primary efficacy objective—a dose-response relationship.
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