Eli Lilly & Co. (NYSE:LLY): Alzheimer Drug ‘Lilly’ Shows Some Positive Effect In Mild Disease

Eli Lilly & Co. (NYSE:LLY)’s Experimental drug ‘Lilly’ seems to help slow mental decline in individuals with mild Alzheimer’s disease.

Through combined results from two different studies of an experimental Alzheimer’s drug indicate that it may modestly slow mental degradation particularly in people with mild Alzheimer’s disease.

When taken separately, the studies on the drug, Eli Lilly’s solanezumab missed their major goals of appreciably slowing the mental ailment or improving activities of daily living. However, pooled result showed that there was 34% less mental decline in people with mild Alzheimer’s disease when compared to those undergoing fake treatment for 18 months.

Doctors called the results heartening, even though probably not good enough to win consent of the drug at the moment, without another study to verify that there is a strong benefit. Investors were more enthusiastic about the results driving Lilly’s stock up by nearly 5% on Monday and about 19% since the month of August, when the firm had described the results in general terms.

Comprehensive results were revealed for the first time on Monday at an American Neurological Association conference that was held in Boston.

CEO of the Alzheimer’s Association, Maria Carillo said that it is certainly not the home run that the organization wanted but it was encouraged by the outcomes. An Alzheimer’s expert at Brown University, Dr. Stephen Salloway agreed to it. He said that it is exciting to see that there are possibilities of clinical benefits. He also said that the drug is modest and may not be enough to make a difference in how well patients live.

The drug has failed to help patients in two late-stage researches the previous month. However, it did show signs of hitting its target and clearing deposits from the brain.

The Lilly drug appears to be safe and that is the benefit of it, according to the head of a memory ailments program at New York Presbyterian Hospital, Dr. Norman Relkin.

Shares of the company are down 2.60% to $50.47 after soaring 9% in the past two trading sessions and made multi year high of $53.55 in yesterday’s session.