Eli Lilly & Co. said it applied for full U.S. approval of its Alzheimer’s disease drug that’s expected to compete with Eisai Co.’s Leqembi as the U.S. drugmaker revealed details of a final-stage trial at a conference in Amsterdam.
The drug stands to become the second shown to clearly slow the disease by removing a toxic protein called amyloid from the brains of early Alzheimer’s patients after Leqembi gained full approval on July 6. The company expects a Food and Drug Administration decision before the end of the year, executives said in an interview.
That sets the stage for a potential head-to-head competition between Lilly and Eisai, along with its partner Biogen Inc., for leadership in a market expected to rise to billions of dollars as more patients with early Alzheimer’s gravitate to the idea of preventing the loss of memories and brain function. While both drugs’ use may be held back by cost, side effects and moderate effectiveness, experts hope they’ll pave the way to more powerful successors.
