Lilly halts Alzheimer's drug trial because of liver problems - Reuters

June 13 | Thu Jun 13, 2013 5:04pm EDT

June 13 (Reuters) - Eli Lilly and Co said on Thursday it was halting a midstage clinical trial of an experimental Alzheimer's disease treatment due to potential liver toxicity problems.

It was the latest setback in the quest to find a treatment that can slow or cure the memory-robbing condition.

Lilly said the Phase II study of the drug, LY2886721, from a class known as beta secretase, or BACE, inhibitors, was stopped after safety monitors identified cases of abnormal liver biochemical tests.

Based on the information Lilly has today, it believes that the abnormal liver biochemical tests observed in this study are not related to the BACE mechanism and continues to be interested in developing BACE inhibitors for the benefit of patients with Alzheimer's disease, the company said.

Lilly said it will continue to monitor all study participants who were found to have abnormal liver biochemical tests.

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