"Combined results from two studies of an experimental Alzheimers drug suggest it might modestly slow mental decline especially in patients with mild disease. Taken separately the studies on the drug  Eli Lilly  Co.s solanezumab  missed their main goals of significantly slowing the mindrobbing disease or improving activities of daily living. But pooled results found  percent less mental decline in mild Alzheimers patients compared to those on a fake treatment for  months. Doctors called the results encouraging although probably not good enough to win approval of the drug now without another study to confirm there is a benefit. Investors were more enthused driving Lillys stock up about  percent on Monday and about  percent since August when the company described the results in general terms. Detailed results were revealed for the first time Monday at an American Neurological Association conference in Boston. Its certainly not the home run we all wanted but were very encouraged by these results said Maria Carillo chief science officer for the Alzheimers Association which had no role in the research. Dr. Stephen Salloway an Alzheimers expert at Brown University agreed. Its exciting to see that there may be clinical benefit he said but it is modest and may not make a difference in how well patients live  what matters most to them and their families he said. About  million people worldwide have dementia and Alzheimers is the most common type. In the U.S. about  million have Alzheimers. Current medicines such as Aricept and Namenda just temporarily ease symptoms. There is no known cure. Solanezumab solahNAYZuhmab is one of three drugs in latestage testing that seek to alter the course of the disease. Results on one drug were disappointing and results of the other wont be ready until early next year. Solanezumab aims to bind to and help clear the sticky deposits that clog patients brains. The two studies each had about  patients about twothirds with mild disease and onethird with moderately severe Alzheimers in  countries. Their average age was . The main measures were two tests  one reflecting language memory and thinking and the other ability to perform daily activities such as eating and grooming. The combined results on the mild disease patients showed a nearly point difference in the roughly point score on thinking abilities. Previous studies suggest that a change of  to  on the score is needed to show a clinical benefit like an improvement in how well patients can take care of themselves. Its a small difference Dr. Rachelle Doody of Baylor College of Medicine said of the drugs effect. She heads a nationwide research network funded by the National Institute on Aging that did an independent analysis of Lillys results on the studies and presented them Monday at the conference. Still you slow the decline with the drug she said. Independent experts cautioned that the improvement was small and needs to be verified in another study. I hate to get too enthusiastic ... theres a flicker of a signal of benefit but less than what some other oncepromising treatments showed said Dr. Sam Gandy head of Alzheimers disease research at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York. Dr. Ronald Petersen director of Alzheimers research at the Mayo Clinic called the drugs effect subtle and said it may mean just that somebody remembers one extra word out of a word list without any real improvement in how well they live. The drug if ever approved is likely to be expensive and that means we need more evidence of its benefit to justify its use Petersen said. Encouragingly solanezumab had few side effects. About  percent of people on the drug had some chest pain from reduced blood flow to the heart. There were few cases of worrisome brain swelling and small bleeding in the brain an effect that caused concern with another experimental Alzheimers drug bapineuzumab by Pfizer Inc. and Johnson  Johnsons Janssen Alzheimer Immunotherapy unit. That drug failed to help patients in two latestage studies announced last month but did show signs of hitting its target and clearing deposits from the brain. The Lilly drug seems to be safer and that is an advantage said Dr. Norman Relkin head of a memory disorders program at New YorkPresbyterian HospitalWeill Cornell Medical Center. There is some cause for encouragement here. Its not the magnitude wed like to see but certainly warrants further studies on the drug he said. Relkin heads testing of the third drug in latestage development  Gammagard by Baxter International Inc. Results are expected early next year. Meanwhile Dr. Eric Siemers senior medical director for Lilly said the company will discuss its results and next steps with the Food and Drug Administration. Lilly shares closed up . or . percent to .. During the day they peaked at . their highest price since April . This is also their highest closing price since that month. The shares are up . percent since August ."