Idalopirdine for Alzheimer's disease: Written in the stars

摘要

Drug development for Alzheimer's disease has been frustrating, but the poor progress is not for want of trying. Only two classes of drugs are available for treatment of patients, and the last new drug was marketed more than a decade ago. The few successes from the many phase 2 trials have not predicted success in the phase 3 trials needed for marketing authorisation.1 In particular, drugs directed toward the pathology of Alzheimer's disease-aimed at the amyloid-P cascade—have not been successful in phase 2 trials, or phase 2 trials were skipped in the hope that large phase 3 trials would prove successful. In this environment, a positive phase 2 trial is notable.