Biogen To Launch Phase III Alzheimer’s Prevention Study

Biogen Inc. will launch a new Phase III study of its anti-amyloid-beta antibody aducanumab for early use to prevent or delay the clinical onset of Alzheimer’s disease. In a fourth-quarter conference call in which executives stood firm in their policy of refusing to comment on whether (or when) they might announce details of any interim or futility analysis of the heavily watched ongoing EMERGE and ENGAGE Phase III studies of aducanumab in early Alzheimer’s, observers had to settle for hints of progress in the Alzheimer’s arena.

Unveiling 2018 figures that showed it performed solidly if not spectacularly, Biogen said 2019 revenues would rise slightly from $13.5bn...