Opportunities for Elan’s Alzheimer’s drug

ELAN reiterated yesterday that a substantial opportunity exists, on a commercial basis, for its planned series of treatments for Alzheimer’s disease — all of which are currently at various testing stages.

Analysts have suggested that Elan’s most progressed Alzheimer’s treatment — AAB-001 (bapineuzumab) — could generate up to $6.5 billion (€4.13bn) in group revenues within five years of being commercialised.

However, a spokesperson for Elan said yesterday it is too early to be talking about such numbers.

“Given that we’re aiming Tysabri at a total market of 400,000 multiple sclerosis sufferers and there are more than 24 million Alzheimer’s sufferers in the world, we see this as a big opportunity,” the spokesperson said.

Elan is due to expand on its recent encouraging phase two findings on AAB-001 at this year’s International Conference on Alzheimer’s Disease (ICAD) in Chicago, which begins next week.

Elan has already begun phase three trials on the drug, which are likely to continue into 2010.

As each of its other Alzheimer’s treatments, around 10 in total, are in various phase one and phase two trial stages, it is unlikely that Elan will have a treatment for the disease on the market before 2011 at the earliest.

The Dublin-headquartered company reports second quarter figures today, which will still be driven by its MS drug, Tysabri. &

Meanwhile, Elan’s chief Alzheimer’s development partner, Wyeth said yesterday that its second-quarter earnings fell year-on-year from $1.2bn to $1.12bn — mainly due to sales of its main ulcer drug, Protonix.