Lundbeck to Begin Late-Stage Trials on Alzheimer’s Drug Mid-2013

H. Lundbeck A/S (LUN) Chief Executive Officer Ulf Wiinberg said the company will probably begin late- stage trials on its experimental treatment for Alzheimer’s disease in the middle of next year with or without a partner.

Wiinberg said in August the company was in talks with several potential partners for the drug, called AE58054, and that further testing may start as early as the end of this year.

“What we realized was that the priority for us was to develop the phase 3 plan,” Wiinberg said in an interview in London today. “We may or may not have a partner by the time we start.”

AE58054 targets 5-HT6 receptors in the areas of the brain associated with cognition, resulting in increased concentrations of chemicals that aid learning and memory processes. About 18 million people worldwide have Alzheimer’s disease, and the number may almost double to 34 million by 2025, according to the World Health Organization.

To contact the reporter on this story: Makiko Kitamura in London at mkitamura1@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Phil Serafino at pserafino@bloomberg.net