Signals
14Frontotemporal dementia therapy programs reach late-stage trials
Progranulin-replacement therapy in GRN-mutation FTD, ASO programs in C9orf72 FTD-ALS, and tau-targeted programs are emerging in a previously bare category.
CIDP therapy reshapes around FcRn antagonist class entry
Efgartigimod CIDP indication, follow-on FcRn antagonist programs, and structured maintenance protocols are reshaping chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy management.
Chronic neuropathic pain therapy reshapes around novel sodium channel mechanisms
Suzetrigine (Nav1.8 inhibitor) acute pain approval and follow-on Nav1.8 and Nav1.7 programs in chronic pain are reshaping non-opioid pain management.
Restless legs syndrome therapy reshapes around augmentation avoidance
Alpha-2-delta ligand first-line preference, low-dose opioid use, and novel mechanism programs are restructuring restless legs syndrome management.
Post-stroke spasticity therapy options widen past oral baclofen
Botulinum toxin maturity, intrathecal baclofen pump access, and emerging novel mechanism programs are reshaping post-stroke spasticity management.
Stroke prevention restructures across atrial fibrillation, lipids, and acute window
Factor XIa inhibitors entering late-stage trials, expanded thrombectomy windows, and tenecteplase displacement of alteplase are restructuring stroke prevention and acute care.
Diabetic peripheral neuropathy therapy advances after a long quiet period
Capsaicin patch maturity, novel sodium channel modulators, and emerging disease-modifying programs are reshaping diabetic peripheral neuropathy management.
Genetically-targeted Parkinson's programs reach pivotal data
LRRK2 inhibitors and GBA-targeted programs in Parkinson's disease are reading out as the first genetically-defined Parkinson's therapy options.
Gantenerumab post-mortem: what the failure tells the field about Abeta-targeting
The gantenerumab phase 3 readout failure is a useful data point for understanding what differentiates the successful anti-amyloid antibody class from the unsuccessful programs. The implications for next-generation amyloid-targeting and adjacent neurodegeneration pipeline are material.
Tau PET reimbursement is the next diagnostic access question
Amyloid PET has settled into routine coverage and availability. Tau PET - which will be the confirmatory pathway for tau-directed therapies - is sited at meaningfully fewer centers and reimbursed unevenly. The access conversation that defined anti-amyloid rollout is about to repeat, one mechanism later.
Co-pathology recognition is reshaping how Alzheimer's diagnosis is being read
LATE, vascular contribution, and Lewy-body co-pathology are now routinely on the differential when a patient with cognitive symptoms tests amyloid-positive. The clinical question is increasingly "what mix" rather than "is it Alzheimer's."
GLP-1 receptor agonists enter Alzheimer's clinical trials
Phase 3 readouts on semaglutide in Alzheimer's are due, with mechanistic interest in metabolic, vascular, and inflammatory pathways.
FDA's accelerated approval pathway under continued post-Aduhelm scrutiny
Aducanumab's voluntary withdrawal in 2024 left lasting institutional caution about surrogate-endpoint approvals in neurodegeneration.
Tau-targeting programs advance behind the amyloid wave
Anti-tau immunotherapies and small molecules are progressing through mid-stage trials, with the field watching for the first credible clinical signal.
Snapshots
5Anti-amyloid antibody landscape, 2026 mid-year reference
A dated reference snapshot of the anti-amyloid antibody class for Alzheimer's disease as of mid-2026: approved products, withdrawn products, late-stage pipeline, label-defining clinical evidence, and the operational pattern that defines the class.
DMD treatment landscape, 2026 mid-year reference
Reference layout of the Duchenne muscular dystrophy treatment landscape as of mid-2026: approved mechanisms across exon-skipping, gene therapy, and corticosteroid-class agents, late-stage pipeline, and the live commercial questions across patient populations.
What we are watching in Alzheimer's, as of Q2 2026
A reference list of the threads PatientSpotlight is actively tracking - clinical readouts, regulatory and reimbursement decisions, real-world evidence accumulation, and operational rollout. Each thread names what to watch and why it matters, without predicting when it will resolve.
Alzheimer's drug development pipeline, as of Q2 2026
A reference view of the late-stage Alzheimer's pipeline as of Q2 2026 - tau-directed programs, GLP-1 receptor agonists, neuroinflammation, synaptic and neuronal resilience, and genetic/protein-clearance approaches.
Disease-modifying therapies in Alzheimer's, as of Q2 2026
Two anti-amyloid antibodies have traditional FDA approval; subcutaneous formulations are advancing; the post-amyloid pipeline is portfolio-shaped.
Explained
2What are GLP-1 receptor agonists, and why are they being tested in Alzheimer's?
GLP-1 receptor agonists are a class of drugs originally developed for type 2 diabetes and now widely used for obesity. The class is now in late-stage Alzheimer's trials. The mechanistic case spans metabolic, vascular, inflammatory, and direct neuronal pathways - and the access shape would be very different from anti-amyloid therapy.
What is the FDA accelerated approval pathway, and why does it matter for Alzheimer's?
Accelerated approval is a 1992 FDA regulatory pathway that lets a drug come to market based on a surrogate endpoint reasonably likely to predict clinical benefit, with a confirmatory trial obligated to follow. In Alzheimer's, the pathway is closely associated with the aducanumab episode and a recalibrated bar for what surrogate evidence the agency now considers persuasive.