Solanezumab Has No Effect on Cognitive Decline in Alzheimer Disease

HealthDay News — For patients with mild Alzheimer disease, solanezumab administered every 4 weeks does not alter cognitive decline, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Lawrence S. Honig, MD, PhD, from Columbia University Medical Center in New York City, and colleagues conducted a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving patients with mild dementia due to Alzheimer disease. A total of 2129 patients were enrolled and randomized to receive solanezumab (400 mg; 1057 patients) or placebo (1072 patients) intravenously every 4 weeks for 76 weeks.

The researchers found that the mean change from baseline in the score on the 14-item cognitive subscale of the Alzheimer Disease Assessment Scale score was 6.65 and 7.44 in the solanezumab and placebo groups, respectively, with no significant difference between the groups at week 80 (difference, −0.8; 95% CI, −1.73- 0.14; P =.1). The change from baseline in the Mini-Mental State Examination score was −3.17 and −3.66 in the solanezumab and placebo groups, respectively.

“Solanezumab at a dose of 400 mg administered every four weeks in patients with mild Alzheimer disease did not significantly affect cognitive decline,” the authors write.

Several authors disclosed financial ties to pharmaceutical companies, including Eli Lilly, which funded the study.

Reference

Honig LS, Vellas B, Woodward M, et al. Trial of solanezumab for mild dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease. N Engl J Med. 2018;378:321-330