Cortexyme's Alzheimer's treatment fails to meet main goals in study

IRulya Therapeutics

26/10/2021 21:00

Oct 26 (Reuters) - Cortexyme Inc  CRTX.O  said on Tuesday
its experimental oral pill failed to meet the main goals of
improving cognitive and functional abilities in patients with
mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease in a study.  
    The drug, atuzaginstat, is designed to target the P.
gingivalis bacteria found in the brain of patients suffering
from the memory robbing disease. 
    The mid-to-late stage study tested 643 patients and did not
meet statistical significance in its goals, according to two
scales measuring disease progression.
    In a group of patients with the bacteria detected in their
saliva, the drug showed 57% slowing of cognitive decline on a
commonly used test but failed to show significant benefits on
another scale, which is generally filled out by a patient's
caregiver.
    However, Cortexyme said the pill led to a reduction in the
bacteria, which was associated with some improved outcomes at
the end of the treatment period under the study. It plans to
report the data to regulators to determine the path forward for
the drug.    
    Alzheimer's treatments have come into focus since the U.S.
health regulator approved Biogen's  BIIB.O  controversial drug
Aduhelm in June. The drug is used to treat early stages of the
disease.
    "There's nothing that is approved for treating the really
sick patients with mild-to-moderate disease, which is where
we've shown an effect," said Cortexyme's chief medical officer
Michael Detke.    

 (Reporting by Amruta Khandekar; Editing by Devika Syamnath)
 ((Amruta.Khandekar@thomsonreuters.com;))