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Alzheimer’s cure behind the boom in brain science (Financial Review):
“Biogen is one of many members of big pharma seeking the blockbuster drug which will inevitably be worth multiple billions of dollars. Big pharma in the US spends about $US5 billion a year on Alzheimer’s research and development.
Exponential growth in the disease over the past decade has not been accompanied by the development of approved drugs. In fact, not a single new drug for Alzheimer’s has been approved in the past 10 years in the United States, according to a report published this week by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. About 5 million Americans suffer from AD and that is projected to double in coming decades.
However, Smith says the continuing boom in clinical trials provides growth opportunities for companies that can streamline the testing process.
A problem with AD is that once the patient is suffering from the disease it is too late for the drug treatment to assist. The earlier the cognitive impairment can be identified the better.
That leads Smith into recommending investors seriously consider an Australian listed company called Cogstate. It told the market this week that the total value of sales contracts signed in the fiscal year to date is $US21.9 million, making this the most successful financial year for sales contracts. The sales are up from $US9 million during the previous financial year.”
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