More Alzheimer's Pain As J&J Pulls Plug On BACE Inhibitor

J&J's Janssen unit is ending development of atabecestat after serious elevations of liver enzymes were seen in some patients who received the drug, increasing doubts about the BACE inhibitor mechanism as an appropriate target.

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Still blocked: No BACE breakthrough for J&J

The search for effective Alzheimer's treatments has again suffered a setback with the news that Johnson & Johnson is pulling the plug on its investigational oral beta-site amyloid precursor protein cleaving enzyme (BACE) inhibitor atabecestat because of liver safety issues.

The company's Janssen unit issued a statement saying that it is stopping the screening, randomization and dosing of atabecestat in the Phase IIb/III EARLY trial in late-onset preclinical stage Alzheimer’s disease and in a Phase II long-term safety study

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