Understanding the impact of amyloid beta targeted therapies on biomarkers and clinical endpoints in Alzheimer's disease

The Alzheimer's Association Research Roundtable convened leaders from industry and academia, as well as patients, clinicians, and government and regulatory agency scientists to discuss the topic "Current Understanding of AD Pathophysiology & Impact of Amyloid-beta Targeted Treatments on Biomarkers and Clinical Endpoints."The totality of scientific evidence (clinical trials, animal data, modeling, and observational studies) on the relationship between amyloid beta (Aβ), amyloid, tau, and cognitive impairment is helping our understanding of the downstream effects and overall importance of lowering amyloid plaque load.Based on data from multiple phase 2 and 3 clinical trials of anti-amyloid monoclonal antibodies, there is strong evidence to support that a sufficiently large reduction in amyloid plaque load to near-normal levels is associated with positive changes in tau biomarkers and clinical endpoints.Reduction of Aβ plaque, measured easily by plasma amyloid biomarkers, is reasonably likely to predict benefit in clinical outcome measures.