Rock Creek Pharmaceuticals Inc. (fka RCPIQ)

[Buddhahead]

Roche Alzheimer's drug fails main goals in mid-stage study in Reuters News, CAROLINE COPLEY, ZURICH Wed Jul 16, 2014 1:55pm EDT

Excerpts:
" Roche's experimental drug crenezumab failed to delay a decline in thinking and memory skills in people with Alzheimer's disease, a result likely to bolster a growing belief that drugs need to be given in earlier stages of the disease to show a benefit."

"Results of a Phase II study involving 431 patients found crenezumab failed to significantly slow cognitive and functional decline compared to placebo, missing the study's two main goals, Roche said in a statement on Wednesday.

But an exploratory analysis of patients with a milder form of the disease who received a higher dose of crenezumab via an intravenous infusion showed a statistically significant reduction in cognitive decline, Roche said.

Carole Ho, director of Early Clinical Development at Roche's biotech unit Genentech, told Reuters she was encouraged by the data, even though it missed its main goals, since it demonstrated that treating the disease earlier could increase the benefit.

Ho said Roche would decide on any future plans for additional clinical studies following an analysis of the data in conjunction with health authorities.

Analysts had anticipated limited success for crenezumab, after a similar treatment from Pfizer Inc and Johnson & Johnson called bapineuzumab, and solanezumab, a drug from Eli Lilly and Co, failed in late-stage trials."

"A startling 99.6 percent of clinical trials in Alzheimer's failed between 2002 and 2012, the Cleveland Clinic study found."

Article at:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/07/16/us-alzheimer-s-roche-crenezumab-idUSKBN0FL1Z820140716?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews