• Home
  • Health & Wellness
  • Disclaimer
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • DMCA Notice
Podcast
  • Home
  • Health & Wellness
  • Disclaimer
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • DMCA Notice
24/7 Health News
No Result
View All Result
Home Article

New Alzheimer’s drug slows cognitive decline – and may be available as early as next year

October 4, 2022
in Article
0

Lecanemab is the first drug to help improve the symptoms of Alzheimer’s by slowing the disease. These are very promising results, although the only data we have at the moment is from the drugmaker’s press release.

Lecanemab is an antibody that finds and removes a protein called amyloid that builds up and forms clumps in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease. By targeting amyloid, lecanemab is striking at the heart of the disease itself, rather than just treating symptoms by boosting brain chemicals in the cells that are still working (as is the case with drugs currently prescribed for Alzheimer’s).

Previous antibody drugs to remove amyloid have not worked, or have generated mixed results. As there are lots of other abnormal proteins in Alzheimer’s disease, the failure of the amyloid antibody trials led to a debate about whether amyloid really is an important problem in Alzheimer’s disease.

This debate is now over. Regardless of whether other biological processes are important in the development of Alzheimer’s, the data from the phase 3 lecanemab trial tells us that amyloid is a central problem in the disease. This will help focus future investment in clinical trials and laboratory research.

Eisai, the maker of lecanemab, has already filed for “accelerated approval” with the US Food and Drug Administration. If all goes to plan, the drug could be licensed as early as January 2023. But there are important questions still to be answered, even if the final published data is exactly as it is in the press release.

The amyloid hypothesis explained

Hurdles still to overcome

There is a small risk of significant side-effects with lecanemab, including brain swelling and bleeding. Most people are unaware when this happens to them, but around 3% suffer small bleeds in the brain.

We do not yet know the severity of these bleeds. It may well be that doctors will be able to predict who is likely to develop them, but it will take a few years of giving the drug in clinical practice to better understand the side-effects and how best to manage them.

People who are prescribed the drug will need regular MRI scans to check for brain swelling or bleeding. These are enormous new healthcare costs, and we have no idea yet how much the drug itself will cost.

Another hurdle is identifying people with early-stage Alzheimer’s who might benefit from this drug. This means doctors need to ensure people are referred to memory clinics as early as possible. Many of these people with mild memory symptoms won’t have Alzheimer’s disease. (Who hasn’t had a mild memory lapse?)

To identify patients who actually have Alzheimer’s disease, doctors will need to use new blood tests. And, with recent advances, doctors are on the cusp of being able to do this.

The way the drug is currently given (intravenously via a cannula twice a month) could also be off-putting for many patients. However, Eisai is developing a formulation so that lecanemab can be injected into the fat layer under the skin – like an insulin injection – which may encourage more people to use the drug.

Cost v benefit

So is the benefit worth the risk and cost? Lecanemab slowed the rate of cognitive decline in people with mild cognitive impairment and early-stage Alzheimer’s disease by 27% over 18 months. This effect is similar to that seen with current drugs (cholinesterase inhibitors and memantine), but these drugs don’t affect the underlying causes of the disease.

If the effects of lecanemab remain stable for longer than 18 months, a patient with mild cognitive impairment who is destined to have six years of independent life, without treatment, could gain around 19 extra months of independent life. But will patients and regulators view this reward as worth the potential risk of side-effects?

We should have answers to these questions fairly soon. But, in the meantime, we can celebrate the fact that we finally have proof that amyloid is a causal factor in the most common form of dementia. And after many years of slow progress, that’s something to be excited about, as it shows that dementia researchers have been on the right track all along.

The Conversation

Bernadette McGuinness receives funding from Alzheimer’s Society, Dunhill Medical Trust, HSC R&D NI, National Institute of Aging, ESRC. She consults for Biogen, TauRx, Roche and Eisai.

Elizabeth Coulthard consults to Biogen, Novartis and Roche. She receives funding from NIHR, MRC, Alzheimer’s research UK, Biogen, Rosetrees, BRACE and Above and Beyond Charities. I am currently helping deliver the AHEAD trial, run by Eisai (as a trial site).

ShareTweetSharePin
Previous Post

Five things to do in your 20s and 30s to reduce your risk of preventable cancer

Next Post

COVID and the cost of living crisis are set to collide this winter – the fallout will be greatest for the most vulnerable

Next Post
COVID and the cost of living crisis are set to collide this winter – the fallout will be greatest for the most vulnerable

COVID and the cost of living crisis are set to collide this winter – the fallout will be greatest for the most vulnerable

Most Read

What causes stuttering? A speech pathology researcher explains the science and the misconceptions around this speech disorder

What causes stuttering? A speech pathology researcher explains the science and the misconceptions around this speech disorder

December 15, 2022
morning back pain

Morning Again Ache Trigger Is Not the Mattress

October 11, 2021
lower back pain relief exercises

5 decrease again ache aid workouts

October 11, 2021
3 years after legalization, we have shockingly little information about how it changed cannabis use and health harms

3 years after legalization, we have shockingly little information about how it changed cannabis use and health harms

October 15, 2021
Nasal vaccines promise to stop the COVID-19 virus before it gets to the lungs – an immunologist explains how they work

Nasal vaccines promise to stop the COVID-19 virus before it gets to the lungs – an immunologist explains how they work

December 14, 2022
bleeding in gum

When The Bleeding in gum Is Severe ?

October 11, 2021
Good Night Sleep

6 Causes of Good Evening Sleep

October 11, 2021

COVID vaccines: how one can pace up rollout in poorer international locations

October 5, 2021
Ten small changes you can make today to prevent weight gain

Ten small changes you can make today to prevent weight gain

October 12, 2021
Support and collaboration with health-care providers can help people make health decisions

Support and collaboration with health-care providers can help people make health decisions

December 16, 2021
Greece to make COVID vaccines mandatory for over-60s, but do vaccine mandates work?

Greece to make COVID vaccines mandatory for over-60s, but do vaccine mandates work?

December 1, 2021

Multiple sclerosis: the link with earlier infection just got stronger – new study

October 12, 2021
News of war can impact your mental health — here’s how to cope

Binge-eating disorder is more common than many realise, yet it’s rarely discussed – here’s what you need to know

December 2, 2022
Nurses’ attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccination for their children are highly influenced by partisanship, a new study finds

Nurses’ attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccination for their children are highly influenced by partisanship, a new study finds

December 2, 2022
Kick up your heels – ballroom dancing offers benefits to the aging brain and could help stave off dementia

Kick up your heels – ballroom dancing offers benefits to the aging brain and could help stave off dementia

January 3, 2023
How hot is too hot for the human body? Our lab found heat + humidity gets dangerous faster than many people realize

How hot is too hot for the human body? Our lab found heat + humidity gets dangerous faster than many people realize

July 6, 2022
The promise of repairing bones and tendons with human-made materials

The promise of repairing bones and tendons with human-made materials

January 4, 2022
As viral infections skyrocket, masks are still a tried-and-true way to help keep yourself and others safe

As viral infections skyrocket, masks are still a tried-and-true way to help keep yourself and others safe

December 14, 2022
How regulatory agencies, not the courts, are imposing COVID-19 vaccine mandates

How regulatory agencies, not the courts, are imposing COVID-19 vaccine mandates

October 24, 2021
Heart disease risk from saturated fats may depend on what foods they come from – new research

Heart disease risk from saturated fats may depend on what foods they come from – new research

November 29, 2021
Late night eating may cause greater weight gain – new research points to why

Late night eating may cause greater weight gain – new research points to why

October 12, 2022

10 Things I Learned During My Body Transformation

October 12, 2021

7 Health Benefits of Sweet Potatoes

October 12, 2021
Nobel prize: how chilli peppers helped researchers uncover how humans feel pain

Nobel prize: how chilli peppers helped researchers uncover how humans feel pain

October 12, 2021
How air filters can make COVID wards safer for patients and staff

How air filters can make COVID wards safer for patients and staff

December 1, 2021
GPs don’t give useful weight-loss advice – new study

GPs don’t give useful weight-loss advice – new study

December 16, 2022
Four ways to avoid gaining weight over the festive period – but also why you shouldn’t fret about it too much

Four ways to avoid gaining weight over the festive period – but also why you shouldn’t fret about it too much

December 22, 2022
Five ways to avoid pain and injury when starting a new exercise regime

Five ways to avoid pain and injury when starting a new exercise regime

December 30, 2022
Why suicide prevention support is crucial for people with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder

Why suicide prevention support is crucial for people with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder

September 28, 2022
Too hot to handle: Climate considerations for youth sport during the hottest years on record

Too hot to handle: Climate considerations for youth sport during the hottest years on record

July 19, 2022
  • Home
  • Health & Wellness
  • Disclaimer

© 2020 DAILY HEALTH NEWS

  • Home
  • Health & Wellness
  • Disclaimer
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • DMCA Notice

© 2020 DAILY HEALTH NEWS