Elan/Wyeth pull high dose of AD drug

US drug major Wyeth and Ireland's Elan will discontinue the highest dosing regimen of bapineuzumab in two ongoing Phase III Alzheimer's  disease studies after an increased incidence of vasogenic edema was  reported.

Both lower-dose arms in the two trials of patients with mild-to-moderate  AD who do not carry the Apolipoprotein E4 allele will continue as  planned. Newly-enrolled patients will now be randomized into either the  0.5mg/kg or the 1.0mg/kg cohorts or to placebo.

Patients who are currently receiving the higher dose are to be  reassigned to the 1.0mg/kg. The firm notes that the study's safety  monitoring committee does not have concerns about these cohorts at this  time.