Another experimental monoclonal antibody has shown promise in treating early Alzheimer’s disease, with Eli Lilly announcing its candidate can slow cognitive decline by a third compared with placebo. 

The drug, donanemab, also led to significant reductions in brain amyloid plaque levels, based on amyloid PET imaging, the company said.

The headline results of the phase III trial were revealed in a media statement this week, but were not published in a peer-reviewed journal.  

The randomised controlled study — dubbed TRAILBLAZER-ALZ 2 — involved 1736 participants aged 60-85 who had mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia with confirmed Alzheimer’s disease neuropathology.