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Biogen Advances Tau-Targeting Alzheimer's Drug to Late-Stage Testing

Biogen announced Thursday that it will advance an experimental Alzheimer's treatment into Phase 3 trials despite mixed mid-stage results. The drug, Diranersen, targets tau, a protein linked to cognitive decline in the neurodegenerative disease. While the candidate failed to demonstrate improved efficacy at higher doses, Biogen found signals of tau reduction and slowed cognitive decline at the lowest dose tested. Priya Singhal, head of development at Biogen, said the combination of tau reduction and cognitive benefit met the criteria necessary for Phase 3 advancement. The move represents another chapter in Biogen's multiyear effort to develop Alzheimer's treatments. The company previously brought two amyloid-targeting drugs to market—Aduhelm, which was later withdrawn, and Leqembi. Eli Lilly is also pursuing tau-focused therapies in the competitive Alzheimer's drug space.