UsAgainstAlzheimer's Chairman George Vradenburg issued the following statement today regarding the termination of phase II and phase III clinical trial testing of the Alzheimer's drug aducanumab by Biogen and Eisai.

“Our hearts go out to the patients battling Alzheimer’s who participated in this clinical trial, along with their families, and caregivers. They all had great hope for aducanumab, and I cannot fathom the devastation they are feeling right now. Too many patients and their families are waiting for better treatments and a cure. For a country that has ‘cured the incurable’ before, the waiting must end.”

“We commend Biogen and Eisai for their commitment to helping the 5.8 million people in the U.S. and more than 50 million worldwide living with Alzheimer’s today. We urge them to continue pursuing a cure and ask for greater commitment, greater investment, and greater urgency from everyone in the field to help bring about an end to this devastating disease.”

“While today’s news is disappointing, we remain hopeful in the fight against this dreadful disease. Indeed, evolving scientific evidence is making clear that Alzheimer’s is no longer an inevitability of later life. Rather, a person’s overall health is emerging as a key element of long-term brain health, and we are learning that proactive preventative measures taken at every stage of one’s life can benefit their brain health later in life, delay cognitive decline, increase cognitive resilience and capacity, and minimize the risk of developing Alzheimer’s.”

“We believe that the key to eradicating this disease is promoting proactive brain health and creating a health care system that recognizes its importance at all stages of life for all people, while continuing to relentlessly pursue a pharmacological cure. It is our responsibility to patients, families, and caregivers everywhere to aggressively explore, fund, and accelerate treatments and a cure. We will stop the devastation of Alzheimer’s.”

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