Pharma Partnerships Vital in Stagnant Alzheimer’s Disease Treatment Market

Eli Lilly’s recent partnership with AstraZeneca to develop oral beta-secretase cleaving enzyme (BACE) inhibitor AZD3293 for Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is a positive step forward for this challenging treatment market, says an analyst with research and consulting firm GlobalData.

Kyle Nicholson, PharmD, GlobalData’s Analyst covering Neurology, states that the companies’ joint venture to bring AZD3293 to market is a strategic move that will also encourage more collaboration between large players in an arena with a high drug failure rate.

Nicholson says: “This partnership will enable AstraZeneca and Eli Lilly to combine their expertise in AD and drug development, while sharing the risks and costs associated with potential failure.

“While AstraZeneca is aware of these risks, the company also reports that AZD3293, which is poised to begin registration for trials late this year, could generate annual sales as high as $5 billion if it enters the global market by 2018.”

Nicholson adds that AD has not seen any major advancements in therapy since the approval of cholinesterase inhibitors, donepezil (Eisai/Pfizer’s Aricept), rivastigmine (Novartis’ Exelon), and galantamine (Janssen’s Razadyne), in the 1990s and early 2000s.

Despite significant industry investment, the AD drug market has flat-lined as most existing products are no longer patent-protected. Nevertheless, key opinion leaders interviewed by GlobalData have emphasised that physicians are excited about BACE inhibitors.

Nicholson continues: “Oral BACE inhibitors received greater interest following announcements made by competitors Pfizer, Johnson and Johnson, and Eli Lilly of uninspiring trial results for multiple injectable monoclonal antibody formulations with activity against the enzyme.

“In developing their BACE inhibitor jointly, AstraZeneca and Eli Lilly will now be able to preserve their resources to fund other research and development projects and seek new partnerships. We believe co-operation between major industry players will be crucial in formulating a potentially lucrative new AD-modifying therapy by 2020,” concludes the analyst.