An experimental Alzheimer’s drug from Eli Lilly & Co. has helped patients in a small trial, the company said Monday, reiterating hopes that researchers are including treatments that can combat the disease.
The drug slows the decline in memory and the ability to perform daily activities after 18 months among people who received the therapy by 32% compared to those who received a placebo, Lilly said.
According to the company, Lilly’s drug, called donanemab, achieved the primary goal of the study – a milestone that did not reach one experimental Alzheimer’s drug after another.
‘This is a great moment for Alzheimer’s patients. There is hope again, ”said Daniel Skovronsky, Lilly’s chief scientific officer.
Lilly shares rose more than 10% on the New York Stock Exchange early Monday. Lilly gave only the highlights of the study results and said that the details would follow during a medical meeting and in an article in a peer-reviewed journal.