Pfizer, J&J drug appears ineffective in some Alzheimer's patients

NEW YORK — An experimental drug under development by Pfizer and a unit of Johnson & Johnson does not appear effective in Alzheimer's disease patients who carry a certain genotype, according to results of a late-stage clinical trial announced by Pfizer on Tuesday.



The company said, however, that the phase-3 Study 302 of bapineuzumab in patients with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's — who carry the apolipoprotein E epsilon 4, or ApoE4 genotype — was the first of four, and a study of patients who do not carry the genotype was ongoing, along with two others of patients who do. Patients in Study 302 no longer will receive doses of the drug, Pfizer said, but will receive further evaluations later on.



Pfizer is developing the drug with J&J subsidiary Janssen AI under the Alzheimer's Immunotherapy Program, which also includes three other studies that are ongoing: Study 301 of noncarriers of ApoE4 and two additional studies of carriers, Study 3001 and Study 3000.

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