A great leap forward in the war against Alzheimer’s disease

The approval of the first drug to treat the neurodegenerative disease in 18 years will galvanise research in the entire subsector, says Dr Mike Tubbs. That bodes well for Huntingdon’s and Parkinson’s sufferers too

Biogen looks likely to enjoy a sales bonanza thanks to its discovery of Aducanumab
Scientist doing some science
(Image credit: Biogen looks likely to enjoy a sales bonanza thanks to its discovery of Aducanumab)

On 7 June shares in Biogen, a US biotechnology company, soared by 64%. America’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had just approved Biogen’s Aducanumab, the first drug for Alzheimer’s disease to be admitted to the market for 18 years. The US Alzheimer’s Association noted that the “historic approval of Aducanumab ushers in an exciting new era in Alzheimer’s and dementia treatment and research”. Aducanumab, to be marketed as Aduhelm, was submitted for approval in the EU and Japan in 2020 and FDA approval makes the other regions more likely to follow suit.

Alzheimer’s: a global scourge

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Dr Mike Tubbs

Highly qualified (BSc PhD CPhys FInstP MIoD) expert in R&D management, business improvement and investment analysis, Dr Mike Tubbs worked for decades on the 'inside' of corporate giants such as Xerox, Battelle and Lucas. Working in the research and development departments, he learnt what became the key to his investing; knowledge which gave him a unique perspective on the stock markets.

Dr Tubbs went on to create the R&D Scorecard which was presented annually to the Department of Trade & Industry and the European Commission. It was a guide for European businesses on how to improve prospects using correctly applied research and development. He has been a contributor to MoneyWeek for many years, with a particular focus on R&D-driven growth companies.