Roche’s discontinued Alzheimer’s drug reveals signs of preventing onset

Roche’s discontinued Alzheimer’s drug, gantenerumab, has shown potential for delaying disease onset in individuals with inherited forms of the condition. 

New data from the open-label extension (OLE) of the Knight Family DIAN-TU trial suggests that gantenerumab reduced the risk of developing symptoms by 50% in a subgroup of participants who received the drug for an average of eight years. While the drug had previously failed to meet primary endpoints in Phase III trials, these new findings raise hope that long-term treatment could prevent or delay cognitive decline. 

However, adverse events like amyloid-related imaging abnormalities (ARIA) occurred at higher rates in the OLE study, likely due to increased dosing. Following gantenerumab’s discontinuation, study participants were switched to Eisai and Biogen’s Leqembi (lecanemab). 

With Alzheimer’s drug development advancing, Eli Lilly’s remternetug is now being studied in young adults through the DIAN-TU-002 trial, aiming to establish its potential as a preventive treatment. GlobalData forecasts the Alzheimer’s market to expand significantly, reaching $19.3 billion by 2033.

22-04-2025

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