Best Stocks to Invest in Alzheimer's Research in 2021

When development in Alzheimer's research comes around, people tend to listen. Alzheimer's is the sixth-leading cause of death in the U.S. and treatment options are notoriously limited. Some publicly traded stocks are directly intertwined with Alzheimer's research, which makes them a sound investment for positively impacting our future.

What are the best stocks to invest in Alzheimer's research that could help us find out what causes Alzheimer's and, ultimately, how to treat it?

After shelving the drug aducanumab in 2019, Biogen Inc. (NASDAQ:BIIB) has brought it back out for FDA approval. Despite the fact that studies have divulged conflicting results, the administration fast-tracked the drug in an effort to give people another option with limited risks. The brand name version of the drug, Aduhelm, will cost a whopping $56,000 per year.

Biogen hasn't achieved total treatment, but it's on the right path. The company might inspire other companies to renew their efforts in Alzheimer's research. 

On June 8, BIIB stock is down 4.08 percent, but that comes after a 50.17 percent jump following the aducanumab news. Ultimately, BIIB is up about 55 percent YTD, with a 25.7 percent 12-month trailing return.

In late December 2020, Axsome Therapeutics Inc. initiated phase 3 clinical trials "to evaluate the efficacy and safety of AXS-05 in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) agitation."

In a press release, the company's CEO, Dr. Herriot Tabuteau, said, "Alzheimer’s disease agitation is a prevalent and debilitating condition that is associated with earlier nursing home placement, accelerated progression to severe dementia, and increased risk of death. There are currently no approved treatments for Alzheimer’s disease agitation. If successfully developed, AXS-05 has the potential to address this high unmet need and significantly improve the lives of patients and their caregivers."

Over the last few years, AXSM stock has grown tremendously. At the beginning of 2019, the shares were trading for just $2.63. Since then, the market value has increased by 2,333 percent. Axsome stock currently trades at $64.01 per share.

In May, Cassava Sciences Inc. announced the initiation of a new cognition maintenance study for Alzheimer's research. Cassava is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing product candidates for Alzheimer’s disease. Recently, the company joined forces with Evonik Industries AG for the drug simufilam.

Simufilam reportedly slows down the decay of cognition and behavior in Alzheimer’s patients.

While SAVA stock trades at a much lower market value than where it initially started in the early 2000s, the last few years have been good to this security. SAVA shares skyrocketed in February and are ultimately up 838.4 percent YTD.

All of these Alzheimer's research stocks show potential, but buying in at the right time to help compound investments and avoid bear runs will be the piece of the puzzle that traders need to locate.