Adapting to Changes in Alzheimer Disease Trials and Therapeutics: Ivana Rubino, PhD, MSc
The head of Global Medical for Neuropsychiatry and Alzheimer Disease at Biogen commented on challenges with conducting effective trials for Alzheimer disease and the potential research opportunities with newly approved novel treatments. [WATCH TIME: 6 minutes]
WATCH TIME: 6 minutes
"A trial is failed or negative, but they are not the same thing. Negative is when you still have some learning that you can use and implement later."
Between 2015 and 2050, the percentage of the world’s population of people over age 60 will nearly double from 12% to 22%, comprising 2.1 billion individuals. After almost 2 decades of extensive pharmacologic and drug development efforts during which no new therapies emerged, recent progress has been made in the development and approval of disease-modifying therapies and symptomatic treatments for neuropsychiatric syndromes of AD. Two antiamyloid monoclonal antibodies—lecanemab (Leqembi; Eisai) and donanemab (Kisunla; Eli Lilly)—have shown an ability to slow the cognitive decline of AD and are now approved.
The recently concluded Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC), held July 28-August 1, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was a testament to the progress in the field, showcasing the latest in drug development, genetics, biomarker discoveries, and much more related to AD and other similarly-presenting disorders. Overall, the conference featured more than 5400 submitted abstracts, with more than 8500 dementia professionals in attendance aiming to elevate their careers and accelerate breakthroughs.
During the meeting, Ivana Rubino, PhD, BSc, head of Global Medical for Neuropsychiatry and Alzheimer Disease at Biogen, sat down with NeurologyLive® to discuss advances in AD care, and how data presented at the meeting aligns with trends in the field. In addition, she spoke on navigating challenges with clinical trials, especially as new anti-tau therapies and other drugs with differing mechanisms of action make their way through the pipeline. With that, she commented on the lessons learned from drug development and the differences between a “failed” trial and one that is considered “negative.” Furthermore, she expressed her enthusiasm with having approved medications and the shift towards compiling real-world evidence on these newer treatments.
