AstraZeneca and Lilly to develop new Alzheimer’s disease therapy

AstraZeneca has announced a new partnership with Lilly to develop a promising treatment for Alzheimer's disease.

The new worldwide agreement will see the companies ally to co-develop MEDI1814, an antibody selective for amyloid-beta 42, which is currently in phase I trials as a potential disease-modifying treatment for Alzheimer's.

It is well established that the buildup of plaques in the brain containing amyloid-beta is one of the key characteristics of Alzheimer's disease, with MEDI1814 binding selectively to amyloid-beta 42, a form of the peptide that which is particularly associated with the condition.

This represents a unique mechanism among antibodies in clinical development and could therefore offer a distinct approach to treating Alzheimer's that has not been seen in any other therapy.

Mene Pangalos, executive vice-president for the IMED biotech unit and business development at AstraZeneca, said: "We are excited to build on an already productive collaboration with Lilly, which combines the expertise of our two companies, with a new programme focused on the amyloid beta pathway."

This agreement builds on the existing collaboration between the companies, who have worked together on the development of AZD3293, a BACE inhibitor currently being evaluated in two pivotal phase III trials.

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