Biogen Idec (BIIB) reported on December 2, 2014 that it had achieved positive results in an early study in patients with Alzheimer's. Alzheimer's is a brain deterioration in mental status that progressively gets worse over time. Alzheimer's affects memory, behavior, and thinking which can severely impact a patient's life. Biogen Idec had started a study to test the efficacy of the BIIB037 compound in patients with Alzheimer's. The study recruited 200 patients and is testing BIIB037 against a placebo compound. 

The trial isn't quite finished yet but additional results will be presented early next year. Shares of Biogen rose up as high as 6% on the news that their compound BIIB037 was able to reduce beta amyloid — also known as plaques– in the brain, which are believed to be  the main cause for developing Alzheimer's disease.

The early-stage study showed that BIIB037 was able to both reduce beta amyloid proteins in the brain and measurably improve patients' cognitive ability within the 54-week period. Most impressive is the results indicating that the company's drug removes amyloid plaques in a dose dependent manner. That means the higher the dosage of BIIB037 given to a patient, the more beta amyloid plaques are removed in the process. 

Although these interim results are promising, more testing will be needed in a planned, larger late-stage trial to determine efficacy of the drug.

Biogen stock was up almost 6% today on the news. The stock is up almost 22% in the past year.