Roche’s experimental Alzheimer’s treatment fails to slow cognitive decline across two clinical trials

Roche reported negative results Monday from a pair of clinical trials investigating an antibody treatment for people with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease — another setback for the Swiss pharma giant’s decades-long effort to develop medicines against the memory-destroying disease.

The drug, called gantenerumab, slowed the rate of cognitive and functional decline compared to a placebo by 8% and 6%, respectively — not enough to meet the primary goal of the two studies of just under 2,000 patients with early-stage Alzheimer’s, Roche said in a press release.

Detailed results from the studies will be presented at an Alzheimer’s research meeting on Nov. 30.

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