Precision medicine analysis of heterogeneity in individual-level treatment response to amyloid beta removal in early Alzheimer's disease

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurological disorder with variability in pathology and clinical progression. AD patients may differ in individual-level benefit from amyloid beta removal therapy. METHODS: Random forest models were applied to the EMERGE trial to create an individual-level treatment response (ITR) score which represents individual-level benefit of high-dose aducanumab relative to the placebo. This ITR score was used to test the existence of heterogeneity in treatment effect (HTE). RESULTS: We found statistical evidence of HTE in the Clinical Dementia Rating–Sum of Boxes (CDR-SB;P = 0.034). The observed CDR-SB benefit was 0.79 points greater in the group with the top 25% of ITR score compared to the remaining 75% (P = 0.020). Of note, the highest treatment responders had lower hippocampal volume, higher plasma phosphorylated tau 181 and a shorter duration of clinical AD at baseline. DISCUSSION: This ITR analysis provides a proof of concept for precision medicine in future AD research and drug development. Highlights: Emerging trials have shown a population-level benefit from amyloid beta (Aβ) removal in slowing cognitive decline in early Alzheimer's disease (AD). This work demonstrates significant heterogeneity of individual-level treatment effect of aducanumab in early AD. The greatest clinical responders to Aβ removal therapy have a pattern of more severe neurodegenerative process.