Roche exec says Biogen Alzheimer's data was reassuring

Reuters
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FILE PHOTO: Logo of Swiss drugmaker Roche is seen in Basel

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - A Roche executive said on Tuesday that positive trial data on an Alzheimer's disease drug candidate by rival Biogen was encouraging for companies such as Roche also pursing amyloid beta proteins as a drug target.

"Before that readout there was quite a raging debate, as to whether targeting a amyloid beta does anything whatsoever to clinical signs and symptoms of Alzheimer's. After that data that debate has to take on a different character and it reassures us in the validity of the pathway," the head of Roche's pharma unit Bill Anderson said in an analyst call.

Roche earlier repeated that keenly awaited trial data on experimental Alzheimer's drug gantenerumab was due to be published at the end of November.

Eisai and its partner Biogen last month reported positive results on their lecanemab drug candidate.

(Reporting by Ludwig Burger; editing by Matthias Williams)