Alzheimer's drug: The multi-billion dollar race of the pharmaceutical companies

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Deposits in the brain: illustration of Alzheimer's disease

Photo: Kateryna Kon/Getty Images/Science Photo Library RF

Not so long ago,

(61) was supposed to lose his job.

The CEO of the US pharmaceutical company Biogen, which plans to generate sales of around 10 billion dollars this year, had an Alzheimer's drug developed and even received approval for it from the US authorities in 2021.

But the supposed blockbuster, which Biogen was supposed to bring in billions, ended up being a flop - and a "regicide", as the Swiss media called it.

In Europe, Vounatsos did not receive approval for the "Aduhelm" drug, the effect remained controversial, in the USA he got involved in an ugly argument about the $ 56,000 that he called the price for a treatment - and was eventually to vacate his post.

Vounatsos is leaving as soon as a successor has been found, the company said in a press release at the beginning of May.

The search for a replacement is ongoing;

the boss allowed himself to be quoted as saying that it was an honor and that he now wanted to ensure a relaxed transition.

Six months later, Vounatsos is still in office - and the gloomy situation has changed significantly.

There could be a breakthrough this year with a second Alzheimer's drug.

Biogen and the Japanese partner company Eisai have developed the antibody "Lecanemab", which was able to achieve a positive result in the important phase III study - after 18 months, test persons who were administered the active substance showed significantly better mental abilities than the participants a comparison group that had only taken a placebo.

When the news broke at the end of September, the two companies' share prices skyrocketed by more than 60 percent.

And other pharmaceutical companies that are active in the segment also recorded significant increases in value.

The hunt for an effective Alzheimer's drug is something of a quest for the Holy Grail of global pharmacy.

The disease is considered incurable - although according to the World Alzheimer Report 2022 more than 50 million people are affected by the death of their nerve cells in the brain.

For decades, scientists have therefore been researching a drug that could stop Alzheimer's or at least slow it down and alleviate the symptoms.

So far, however, with hardly any success worth mentioning: most studies failed, many pharmaceutical companies said goodbye to the expensive race over the years.

The market is huge.

Bloomberg analysts estimate the potential for the US and Europe alone to total up to $70 billion.

Jefferies analyst

said after the "lecanemab" study was published that the data point to a "potential new multi-billion dollar deal".

Biogen is now hoping for the same.

They had made "important progress" for future growth, "we are delighted with the results," CEO Vounatsos rejoiced when presenting the quarterly figures at the end of October.

Biogen and Eisai are counting on an early market approval of their drug in the USA, Japan and Europe.

It is questionable, however, which group of patients may then initially benefit from this drug.

The reimbursement of the expected high prices for the active ingredients, which are difficult to produce, is also not regulated - the wrangling in the past has shown that there may be further hurdles here.

And then there's the competition.

After years of stagnation, other pharmaceutical companies could also enter the market.

Because Biogen and Eisai are not alone in their research in this area - two other studies are pursuing a similar approach involving the removal of amyloid deposits in the human brain.

Risky drug development

is also trying to develop an active ingredient against Alzheimer's

with the drug "Gantenerumab" .

The study lasted 27 months, and the results are due to be published in November.

The company has already invested a great deal of time and money in this research.

For CEO

(54), the development of active ingredients such as against Alzheimer's is particularly risky.

"But we've learned a lot in recent years, and the need is huge," said Schwan in 2021 about the pharmaceutical giant's commitment.

He likes to refer to his company's large portfolio of development projects - it is enough that only one active ingredient is successful: "Then we no longer need to worry about the share price," said Schwan, who has been at the helm after 15 years from Roche has announced its withdrawal for spring 2023.

He would like to gild this farewell with the marketability of an effective Alzheimer's drug.

And the US company

is also working on an Alzheimer's drug.

However, the clinical data for "Donanemab" should not be available until mid-2023.

Studies are being conducted here with patients in the early phase of the disease – the risks of failure are still high.

The drug is intended to delay the course of the disease with symptoms such as forgetfulness or orientation problems.

Last year, the American drug agency FDA classified the active ingredient as a "breakthrough therapy".

With this status, it is possible to significantly speed up the approval process.

The coming months will now show whether one or more of the active ingredients still in the running can prevail.

For the respective pharmaceutical company, the high expenses for research and development should definitely pay off in the long term.

Because according to new calculations by the World Health Organization (WHO), the number of people suffering from Alzheimer's could rise to around 139 million people by 2050 - provided there are no drugs by then that not only delay Alzheimer's in the course, but combat it as completely as possible.