A phase 3 trial for donanemab, Eli Lilly's Alzheimer's drug candidate, showed significant progress in slowing down cognitive and functional decline in people who are in early stages of the disease's progression, according to a July 17 news release.
"The results of [this] trial accelerate recent momentum, bringing us one step closer to making Alzheimer’s a treatable, and eventually, a preventable disease," Howard Fillit, MD, co-founder and chief science officer of the Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation, said in a separate release.
The 18-month trial involved 1,736 participants with early symptomatic Alzheimer disease and revealed that the drug slowed decline by 60 percent, according to Eli Lilly's release. However, it was not without issues entirely. In the trial, three deaths due to brain swelling or bleeding were determined to be linked to the donanemab, according to ABC News.
The full results from the study were published July 17 in JAMA. Next, Eli Lilly will seek full approval from the FDA for donanemab. A decision is expected before the end of 2023.