Get ready to fight about amyloid all over again

Remember in July, when Biogen and Eisai briefly set the neuroscience world ablaze in renewed debate over just how to treat Alzheimer’s? That conversation will likely return to full voice this week when the companies present some highly anticipated data from a recent clinical trial.

At issue is BAN2401, an injected treatment meant to treat Alzheimer’s by targeting the toxic plaques believed to drive the disease’s neurodegenerative effects. Over the summer, Biogen and Eisai presented some partially positive results from a late-stage study. But there was a problem: The patients who responded well to BAN2401 were genetically different from those who didn’t, calling into question whether the drug actually works or was just the beneficiary of an imbalance.

Which brings us to Thursday, when Biogen and Eisai will present a deep dive into the data that, they say, will clear up any questions about BAN2401’s perceived promise.