An experimental Alzheimer’s drug has failed to meaningfully slow or prevent cognitive decline in people at risk of an inherited form of the disease, marking another setback for clinical research.

Last week, Swiss pharmaceuticals giant Roche announced that its novel agent crenezumab did not meet the primary endpoints in a crucial phase II placebo-controlled trial.

“We’re disappointed that the treatment did not demonstrate a statistically significant clinical benefit,” Dr Eric Reiman, one of the study leaders, said in a media statement.

The failure marks another blow to the hypothesis that targeting beta-amyloid plaque rather than Alzheimer’s symptoms could be a viable approach to arresting disease progression.