US drug company 'close' to effective Alzheimer's treatment

The US company that produced the first insulin injections for diabetics in the 1920s claims to be "on the cusp" of finding an effective treatment for Alzheimer's.

Eli Lilly & Co is currently testing medicines that it believes can significantly slow the effects of Alzheimer's, the company's research chief told Reuters.

Jan Lundberg said: "It is no longer a question of 'if' we will get a successful medicine for this devastating disease on the market, but when."

The company was the first to commercially produce synthetic insulin for diabetes patients 80 years ago, at a time when the disease was untreatable and those diagnosed had a significantly reduced life expectancy.

It had been thought that Lilly's best chance of finding an effective Alzheimer's treatment was its solanezumab drug, but that failed to gain approval. However, it is believed that there is still a chance it could be granted approval as it was shown to delay memory loss in patients with mild Alzheimer's.

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