When a small-town prosecutor retired late last year after a remarkable 50+ year career, concerns about cognitive decline and the onset of Alzheimer's disease became paramount. With an estimated 6.3 million Americans affected by this disease, these concerns are shared by many.
Monitoring the well-being of aging parents brings the efforts to find a cure for Alzheimer's into sharp focus. This year alone, there are 171 ongoing studies and 134 drugs related to Alzheimer’s in clinical trials. While major pharmaceutical companies like Eli Lilly, AbbVie, and Sanofi are leading the charge in new clinical testing and trials, several other innovative players are making significant advances in the treatment landscape.
Japanese pharmaceutical Eisai and U.S. partner Biogen have received national headlines for their FDA-approved Alzheimer’s treatment, Leqembi. Medicare Part B is now covering 80% of the cost of Leqembi after the annual deductible, translating to over $21,000 in savings. This ensures broader access to cutting-edge therapies, easing the financial burden on enrolled participants.
When it comes to the product development side of how pharmaceutical companies are finding ways to fill gaps among current offerings, it’s interesting to see how market research comes into play. During the development of Leqembi, Biogen and Eisai used Health Economics Outcomes Research (HEOR) to demonstrate how the drug could reduce overall healthcare costs and project the financial impact on healthcare systems and payors, which inevitably led to Medicare coverage of the drug.
Others include:
• Anavex Life Sciences: (ANAVEX 2-73) targets cellular stress pathways and utilizes market research to understand the competitive landscape and identify areas for differentiation.
• BioVie Inc: (NE3107) is believed to have the potential to interrupt both inflammation and insulin resistance in the brain. The company used market research to study demographic trends and disease progression patterns to better understand their target population.
Each of these companies is looking to follow in the footsteps of Leqembi and Donanemab to provide life-changing treatment options in the battle against Alzheimer’s, and they’ve both utilized data from market research to increase the rate of success of these drugs.
While FDA approved drugs like Leqembi and Kinsula are slowing down the effects of the disease, there are new players such as Therini Bio, Cerevance, and Alector that are taking a different approach.
Therini Bio, which is focused on reducing inflammation in the brain thought to contribute to Alzheimer’s disease; Cerevance, which has multiple CNS candidates, including one targeting proteins that lead to cell death; and Alector, a biotech harnessing the immune system to treat diseases of the brain.*
There are other developments in the treatment of Alzheimer’s that include forced ultrasound technology and a non-invasive screening tool that can provide early detection of Alzheimer's and dementia. This groundbreaking work of both big and small pharma brings hope and inspiration to all those affected by Alzheimer's.
To navigate this complex and dynamic market, partnering with an experienced market research firm is essential. MDRG’s expertise in competitive landscape analysis can provide the strategic insights needed to differentiate offerings, project financial impacts, and ultimately secure broader healthcare coverage for groundbreaking treatments.
*Source: Emerging biotech | PharmaVoice “A dementia focused VC digs past anti-amyloid for neuroscience diamonds in the rough”