At this year’s Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC 2025) in Toronto, Anavex Life Sciences shared new clinical results showing that early and sustained use of its oral therapy, blarcamesine, may slow the progression of early Alzheimer’s disease, and possibly halt some aspects of decline altogether in genetically targeted groups.

The late-stage data came from a combined multi-year analysis of Anavex’s Phase IIb/III studies in more than 500 patients diagnosed with early Alzheimer’s disease. Those who began treatment with blarcamesine early on showed better results than those who began later, especially in patients with a prevalent genetic profile identified as ABCLEAR1.

What Anavex Reported

  • Patients starting oral blarcamesine earlier experienced a 5.4-point cognitive benefit on the ADAS-Cog13 scale after nearly four years.
  • Functional improvement (ADCS-ADL) was also more pronounced in early starters, with a 9.5-point difference—considered “clinically meaningful” by Alzheimer’s standards.
  • A key population (~70% of the global population without a SIGMAR1 gene variant) responded particularly well, potentially saving them up to 19.5 months of daily function.
  • No brain swelling or severe side effects were reported, a key differentiator from some amyloid-targeting biologics.
  • The drug, unlike its leading rivals, is a once-daily oral capsule, not an infusion.

Big Picture: A New Angle on Alzheimer’s

The Anavex approach focuses on restoring a natural process in cells called autophagy, essential for breaking down harmful proteins like amyloid-beta and tau before they accumulate. The company believes this “upstream” targeting could complement or surpass traditional amyloid-clearing therapies.

Comparison: How It Stacks Up to Leqembi

In parallel sessions, Eisai and Biogen presented new 4-year follow-up data for Leqembi (lecanemab), their FDA-approved anti-amyloid antibody therapy. The drug, given via IV infusion, helped patients remain in the early stages of Alzheimer’s longer, slowing their clinical decline by about 1.75 points on a common functional scale when compared against expected progression seen in natural history studies like ADNI, as reported by Tristan Manalac.

Journalist Ryan Cross from Endpoints News noted that while these long-term studies of Leqembi and Lilly’s donanemab suggest benefits increase over time, they also raise important questions about accessibility, response variability, and the practical impact on daily life for patients.

What Makes Blarcamesine Different

Unlike monoclonal antibodies like Leqembi and donanemab, which need regular clinic visits for infusions and patient monitoring, blarcamesine is a once-a-day pill that doesn’t cause brain swelling (ARIA) or require PET scans and spinal taps to initiate treatment.

Dr. Marwan Sabbagh, presenting on behalf of Anavex, said: “These findings suggest that oral blarcamesine, when started early, and continued consistently, may support longer cognitive stability and independence for a broader patient group.”

As Alzheimer’s therapeutics evolve, the industry focus is shifting from whether a drug works to for whom and how conveniently. AAIC 2025 reinforced that earlier treatment with the right drug, oral, personalized, or otherwise, could be the key to preserving cognition, function, and dignity.