Eli Lilly: Experimental Alzheimer’s drug shows some benefit

FILE - This July 17, 2012, file photo, shows the Eli Lilly & Co. corporate headquarters in Indianapolis. Eli Lilly & Co. reported July 22, 2015, that an experimental medication might slow mild Alzheimer's if people take it early enough, one of a handful of drugs in late-stage testing in the frustrating hunt for a better treatment.(AP Photo/Michael Conroy, File) FILE - This July 17, 2012, file photo, shows the Eli Lilly & Co. corporate headquarters in Indianapolis. Eli Lilly & Co. reported July 22, 2015, that an experimental medication might slow mild Alzheimer's if people take it early enough, one of a handful of drugs in late-stage testing in the frustrating hunt for a better treatment.(AP Photo/Michael Conroy, File)

By Associated Press July 22, 2015 3 min read

WASHINGTON (AP) – Eli Lilly & Co. reported Wednesday that an experimental medication might slow mild Alzheimer’s if people take it early enough, one of a handful of drugs in late-stage testing in the frustrating hunt for a better treatment.

The new findings don’t prove that Lilly’s solanezumab really works; a larger study is underway that won’t end until late 2016. On Wednesday, researchers at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference updated ongoing research into Lilly’s effort, and those of two competitors, that aim to fight Alzheimer’s by targeting a sticky protein that clogs the brain.

The bottom line: It’s going to take more time to figure out if this approach works, but scientists think it’s still the right target despite high-profile failures in recent years.

“These are not definitive reports that are going to lead to medications being approved tomorrow. What they represent is an important foundation for us moving forward,” said Dr. David Knopman of the Mayo Clinic, who has monitored some of Lilly’s data.

A look at the candidate drugs: