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Bapineuzumab To Become the First-to-Market Disease-Modifying Alzheimer's Drug After Flurizan's Discontinuation

Posted on: Tuesday, 15 July 2008, 09:00 CDT

WALTHAM, Mass., July 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Decision Resources, one of the world's leading research and advisory firms for pharmaceutical and healthcare issues, finds that with Myriad Genetics/Lundbeck's decision to discontinue the development of Flurizan, the most likely first-to-market disease-modifying Alzheimer's disease treatment becomes Elan/Wyeth's bapineuzumab, an anti-beta-amyloid monoclonal antibody, expected to launch in 2011. The recent Phase III failure of Flurizan underscores the risk involved with developing an agent for Alzheimer's disease.

Decision Resources also finds that both bapineuzumab and Eli Lilly's LY-2062430 will quickly become blockbusters shortly after their launch due to their efficacy and high price point. The widespread use of these agents will depend, in part, on their safety and the complementary use of new diagnosis techniques that would permit patients to be diagnosed in the early stages of the disease, when disease-modifying therapies provide the greatest therapeutic benefit.

"We await Phase III results of the bapineuzumab trials with great interest, both in terms of the drug's safety profile, but also its efficacy in Alzheimer's disease patients carrying the ApoEe4 gene (which is a risk factor in Alzheimer's disease) compared with non-ApoEe4 gene carriers," states Andrea Witt, Ph.D., director at Decision Resources. "Should efficacy prove poor in ApoEe4 gene carriers, patients will be faced with the difficult decision of whether they would want to know whether they carry this gene. Nevertheless, even if bapineuzumab benefits only the non-ApoEe4 gene carriers-a prospective population of 40 to 70 percent of Alzheimer's disease patients-bapineuzumab stands to reap considerable profits in the Alzheimer's disease market."

Two new Decision Resources Alzheimer's disease reports-the Pharmacor report entitled Alzheimer's Disease and Brands & Strategies: Alzheimer's Disease-have been updated to include new data and analysis on how the Alzheimer's disease market is impacted by the failure of Flurizan. Some of the key questions answered in the reports include:

-- How does the failure of Flurizan impact the current Alzheimer's disease market competitors, and which companies benefit the most? -- How will the absence of Flurizan change the performance of emerging therapies? Will the overall Alzheimer's disease market expand or contract? -- How will Lundbeck weather the failure of Flurizan? -- What impact will Flurizan's discontinuation have on the Alzheimer's disease market over the 2007-2017 time period? -- Which drug stands most to gain from Flurizan's discontinuation? About Decision Resources

Decision Resources (http://www.decisionresources.com/) is a world leader in research publications, advisory services and consulting designed to help clients shape strategy, allocate resources and master their chosen markets. Decision Resources is a Decision Resources, Inc. company.

All company, brand, or product names contained in this document may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. For more information, contact: Elizabeth Marshall Decision Resources 781-296-2563 emarshall@dresources.com

Decision Resources

Contact: Elizabeth Marshall of Decision Resources, +1-781-296-2563,emarshall@dresources.com

Web site: http://www.decisionresources.com/

Source: PRNewswire

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