Lilly Study Suggests Cognitive-Function Impairment Link In AD
Eli Lilly and Co. reported findings from its analyses of five datasets investigating the relationship between cognitive and functional impairment in the progress of mild Alzheimer’s disease. According to the company’s analyses, cognitive decline both precedes and predicts later impairment in function observed in patients with AD. The data were presented at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference 2014 (AAIC 2014) in Copenhagen, Denmark.
The company conducted the study to establish better understanding of the relationship between cognitive deficits and functional decline in patients with mild AD. Lilly used grouped data from patients in the placebo group in several studies including the solanezumab EXPEDITION and EXPEDITION2 trials, the semagacestat IDENTITY and IDENTITY2 trials, and the observational study Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative study (ADNI).
Dr. Hong Liu-Seifert, study research advisor at Eli Lilly and Co., said that the findings support the idea that cognitive decline influences later changes in function that are associated with the disease’s progress. “These data support the concept that decline in cognition is later reflected in changes in function. This suggests that with treatments that target the underlying neuropathology of disease, effects on function may take longer to observe in clinical studies. Currently available scales were not developed to assess subtle functional changes or treatment effects on these deficits in patients with early or mild Alzheimer's disease, and there is debate as to how much variability exists in these scales globally. Therefore, we support discussion of alternative ways to demonstrate clinical meaningfulness in early or mild Alzheimer's disease.”
Alzheimer’s disease is the second most common form of dementia claiming 60 to 80 percent of cases. AD is a fatal illness characterized by progressive difficulties in memory and other cognitive functions. Around 44 million people around the world are living with dementia, forecasted to balloon to more than 75 million in 2030.
Lilly isn’t the only company looking into this tricky disease that has, as of late, been concerning medical professionals because of the limited number of trials and trial successes in its pipeline. Just this week, fellow pharma firm Novartis announced its plans to further study the disease through its collaboration with the Banner Alzheimer’s Institute. Novartis will jointly conduct a prevention clinical study that will test two of its investigational anti-amyloid treatments in preventing, slowing, or delaying of the disease’s symptoms in healthy people at genetic risk of developing Alzheimer’s.