Novel Alzheimer’s Drug Flops

By Kelley Luckstein

The investigational Alzheimer's disease drug dimebon failed in the pivotal CONNECTION trial of patients with mild-to-moderate disease, the drug's makers announced today. Latrepirdine did not result in significant gains on any of the five efficacy endpoints versus placebo after six months of treatment, according to Medivation and Pfizer, who have a partnership to develop the drug.

In an e-mail, trial investigator Ronald Petersen, MD, PhD, of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., said the results were "very disappointing for the field since this was the only candidate in the five-year horizon that seemed to produce significant symptomatic benefits."

MedPage Today, by Todd Neale, 3/3/2010