Alzheimer’s Disease Treatment Stocks: 3 Biggest NASDAQ Companies in 2024

Alzheimer’s disease treatment stocks are focused on Alzheimer’s disease, a degenerative brain disorder that results in declining memory and thinking skills and typically affects people in their mid-60s.

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, neurons in other areas of the brain also begin to deteriorate as Alzheimer’s disease gets worse, resulting in the loss of basic human functions and overall cognitive impairment.

This condition affects more than 6.9 million people in the US alone; it’s also the most common form of dementia and is the seventh leading cause of death in America. Treatments are available to alleviate Alzheimer’s disease symptoms, but because they do not affect the underlying causes of this neurodegenerative disease, they’re only a bandaid solution.

Alzheimer’s disease therapies that have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) include: rivastigmine by Novartis (NYSE:NVS); galantamine, developed by Janssen, a division of Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ); donepezil by Pfizer (NYSE:PFE); and AbbVie's (NYSE:ABBV) memantine.

Since there is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease, death is often the result for patients as the ailment causes brain deterioration. And unfortunately, Alzheimer’s disease is rising in prevalence — a report from Research and Markets suggests that the global Alzheimer’s disease treatment market will be worth a significant US$9.78 billion by 2029 as more patients need treatment, and as more investments are made in biomarkers for diagnosis and drug development.

Here the Investing News Network takes a look at the biggest Alzheimer’s disease treatment stocks on the NASDAQ. Companies are listed in order of market cap from largest to smallest, and all data was current as of June 19, 2024.

1. Biogen (NASDAQ:BIIB)

Market cap: US$32.56 billion; current share price: US$223.65

The first NASDAQ-listed Alzheimer's drug company on this list is Massachusetts-based Biogen, a pioneer in the field of neuroscience. The firm is focused on developing, manufacturing and marketing therapies aimed at treating serious neurological, neurodegenerative, autoimmune and rare diseases.

The global biotechnology firm’s research areas include Alzheimer's disease and dementia. However, the launch of Biogen's FDA-approved Alzheimer’s disease drug Aduhelm faced a lot of pushback in 2022, both from the market and from Congress, over what was viewed as a hasty fast-track approval process and exorbitant costs to patients.

Last year, Biogen gave it another go, this time with Leqembi (lecanemab-irmb) for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease, which the FDA has approved under its accelerated approval pathway. The drug was jointly developed by Biogen and Tokyo-based pharmaceutical company Eisai (OTC Pink:ESALF,TSE:4523). It is for patients with mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia, and is the first drug shown to slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease to win FDA approval.

Biogen's earnings report for Q1 shows that during the quarter the number of patients using lecanemab increased nearly 2.5 times from the end of 2023. At the same time, sales of the Alzheimer's drug came in at US$19 million for the period; that's compared to US$10 million from sales generated in 2023.

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2. Intra-Cellular Therapies (NASDAQ:ITCI)

Market cap: US$7.97 billion; current share price: US$75.48

Biopharma company Intra-Cellular Therapies is taking an intracellular approach to developing therapies for patients with complex psychiatric and neurologic diseases, including Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease.

Intra-Cellular Therapies is currently evaluating ITI-1284-ODT-SL, a deuterated form of lumateperone that comes in an oral disintegrating tablet; Phase 2 clinical trials of the drug have been initiated for both agitation and psychosis in patients with probable Alzheimer’s disease.

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3. Cerevel Therapeutics (NASDAQ:CERE)

Market cap: US$7.63 billion; current share price: US$41.85

Neuroscience company Cerevel Therapeutics is focused on treating brain conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease psychosis, schizophrenia, epilepsy and panic disorder.

The firm’s drug candidate pipeline has five clinical-stage investigational therapies, including emraclidine for the treatment of both schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s disease psychosis.

In the third quarter of 2022, the FDA granted fast-track designation to emraclidine for the treatment of hallucinations and delusions associated with Alzheimer's disease psychosis. This second potential indication for the drug is currently in Phase 1 clinical trials in healthy elderly volunteers.

Pharma giant AbbVie (NYSE:ABBV) plans to acquire Cerevel by mid-2024 in a deal valued at US$8.7 billion.

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This is an updated version of an article first published by the Investing News Network in 2019.

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Securities Disclosure: I, Melissa Pistilli, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.