Eli Lilly, AstraZeneca Drop Two Late-Stage Alzheimer’s Drug Trials

The move is the latest setback toward finding a cure for the degenerative illness

AstraZeneca PLC and Eli Lilly & Co. on Tuesday scrapped two late-stage trials of an experimental Alzheimer’s drug they were co-developing, the latest blow in the long quest to find a breakthrough for the memory-robbing disorder.

The companies said the decision was taken after an independent data monitoring committee concluded that trials associated with lanabecestat, the experimental drug, wouldn’t achieve their original goals. The companies said the treatment wasn’t working as well as they had hoped and ending the trials...