Eli Lilly and Co. and AstraZeneca PLC are stopping two late-stage clinical trials of Alzheimer's disease treatment lanabecestat following recommendations from an independent data-monitoring committee.
Indianapolis-based Lilly and U.K.-based AstraZeneca are discontinuing the Amaranth phase 3 trial of the drug in early Alzheimer's disease and the Daybreak-ALZ trial in mild Alzheimer's disease dementia. An Amaranth extension trial is also being discontinued.

The committee said the trials were not likely to meet their main goals upon completion and therefore should be stopped. The companies clarified that the recommendation of the committee was not based on safety concerns.
Lilly and AstraZeneca entered a collaboration in 2014 for developing and commercializing lanabecestat. The discontinuation of the studies will not affect the companies' financial guidance for 2018.
Alzheimer's disease, an ailment that has long stumped researchers and drug developers, causes progressive decline in memory and cognition. Lanabecestat inhibits beta-site amyloid precursor cleaving enzyme 1, or BACE 1, a protein linked to the disease.
Lanabecestat is only the latest in the list of several other Alzheimer's therapies that failed or did not survive late-stage trials, including Merck & Co. Inc.'s BACE 1 inhibitor, verubecestat.

