Pfizer, Johnson drop tests for new Alzheimer drug

Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson said Monday they had given up tests of a new therapy to treat Alzheimer's disease, saying the treatment did not measure up to expectations. The final, phase 3 trial of the intravenous bapineuzumab therapy did not meet targets for effectiveness in aiding cognitive and functional performance of Alzheimer's victims, according to the two drug giants. As a result, they decided to end the program to develop the treatment, they said. "We are obviously very disappointed in the outcomes of this trial. We are also saddened by the lost opportunity to provide a meaningful advance for patients afflicted with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease and their caregivers," said Steven Romano, senior vice president at Pfizer Inc. "Yet these data, and the subgroup and biomarker analyses under way, will further inform our understanding of this complex disease and advance research in this field."