Progress in the treatment of Alzheimer's

Last year the FDA approved of an Alzheimer's drug named Leqembi, created by a US biotech firm and a Japanese counterpart in concert.

The two companies were: Biogen and Eisai. Biogen is a Massachusetts based mid-sized biotech firm.

This year a much larger company -- larger than either of those two separately or together -- looks ready to receive FDA approval for a similar drug, one that like Leqembi targets amyloid plagues in the brain thought to be central to the disease process. Eli Lilly should get approval for its Donanemab.

Why is Alzheimer's treatment such a hot subject for profit-hungry pharmaceutical concerns? In part because people, around the world, are living longer. Medical and public health improvements mean that more people live long enough to become victims of this horrible late-life malady.

At any rate, the interest of these three companies IS good news for sufferers.

Eli Lilly in particular has the ability to scale up in ways that are necessary for a drug of this sort. The WSJ ran a story recently about how Biogen welcomes Eli Lilly into the market. It is not a situation where one can be grudging about a "competitor". They are creating a new market, and the Bigfoot is welcome.

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