Big disappointment for Alzheimer’s patients

A major setback for all affected: Roche, and above all for the approximately 150,000 dementia patients in Switzerland, two-thirds of whom have Alzheimer’s. The pharmaceutical company had to announce on Monday that its Alzheimer’s research had not yielded the desired success. The active substance “gantenerumab” could not really delay the course of the disease. The pharma giant can cope with the stock’s plunge of up to 5 percent on the Swiss stock market, as its pipeline is pretty well stocked with drugs and treatments for other diseases.

The outcome of the study is even more devastating for the other victims. “It’s always a huge disappointment for patients, their families and doctors when a drug trial doesn’t turn out as hoped,” explains Stefanie Becker, 55, director of the Swiss Alzheimer’s Association.

Others are more successful

There was great hope that eventually a cure would be found that would at least slow the progression of the disease. “Even Roche’s drug wouldn’t cure the disease. But just a delay could do a lot,” says Becker. “Ideally, until the Alzheimer’s patient dies.”

Roche is no longer working and now hope lies with other pharmaceutical companies: Biogen and Eisai, who jointly published promising study results in September. Although the pharmaceutical industry has been trying to find the causes of Alzheimer’s for over 30 years, there is no cure for the disease in sight. “The processes are only partially known, Alzheimer’s is a complex disease,” explains Becker. “Even if you already understand a lot, a lot of research is still needed.”

That’s why early detection is so important, Alzheimer’s should no longer be a taboo topic, says the expert: “The sooner you get the diagnosis, the sooner you can organize life and support with family members.” Becker believes that even if the disease cannot be cured, it can be cured by treating the accompanying symptoms.