** Shares of drug developer Anavex Life Sciences AVXL.O rise 2.7% to $9.60 premarket
** Co says its experimental Alzheimer's drug, blarcamesine, slowed memory loss among early-stage patients after 48 weeks of treatment in mid-to-late stage trial
** Patients who took daily 30 mg dose of blarcamesine in trial showed "barely detectable" decline on key cognitive tests, co says
** Blarcamesine is once-daily oral pill that works by activating protein SIGMAR1 to help clear damaged proteins in brain, slowing cognitive decline in early Alzheimer's patients
** As of last close, stock down 13% YTD