Regulatory approval is being sought for a therapy that its maker , pharmaceutical pharmaceutical manufacturer Biogen , said is the first that can slow Alzheimer 's disease instead of simply treating its symptoms . Aducanumab is a protein that forms abnormal deposits on the brains of Alzheimer 's sufferers . Paperwork will be filed next year in the US with the approval process likely to last up to two years . Disappointing trial results led to work being halted in March , but analysis of a larger dataset of the same studies showed significant benefit for early - stage sufferers treated with higher doses .
Regulatory approval is being sought for a therapy that its maker, US pharmaceutical firm Biogen, said is the first that can slow Alzheimer's disease instead of simply treating its symptoms. Aducanumab targets a protein that forms abnormal deposits on the brains of Alzheimer's sufferers. Paperwork will be filed next year in the US with the approval process likely to last up to two years. Disappointing trial results led to work being halted in March, but analysis of a larger dataset of the same studies showed significant benefit for early-stage sufferers treated with higher doses.