New Alzheimer's drug slows disease by a third

According to experts, the recent success in developing drugs that slow Alzheimer's has made the availability of such drugs a possibility, after it had previously seemed impossible.

Eli Lilly has announced that their drug, donanemab, reduces the progression of Alzheimer's disease by approximately 33%.

However, the trial had a setback as two participants, and potentially a third, died due to severe brain swelling.

STİCKY GUNK

Donanemab, which has also shown to slow the progression of Alzheimer's, works similarly to lecanemab, which made global headlines for its success in treating the disease.

Both donanemab and lecanemab are engineered antibodies that target beta amyloid, a sticky substance in the brain, similarly to how the body produces antibodies to combat viruses.

Amyloid accumulates in the gaps between brain cells, creating unique plaques that are indicative of Alzheimer's disease.

Dr. Cath Mummery, clinical lead at the UK's National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery Cognitive Disorders Clinic, stated that the search for Alzheimer's treatments that can modify the disease is now undergoing a significant transformation.

Dr. Cath Mummery said that we are now moving towards a phase of Alzheimer's disease management that focuses on long-term disease modification rather than just supportive and palliative care.

Although the full details of Eli Lilly's trial have yet to be released, the company has disclosed its main findings:

• A total of 1,734 individuals with the initial signs of Alzheimer's disease participated in the study.
• Donanemab was administered once every month through an infusion until the unique brain plaques were eliminated.
• Overall, the disease progression was reduced by approximately 29%, and in a group of patients who were considered more likely to respond to treatment, the reduction was approximately 35%.
• Participants who received the medication were able to maintain a greater level of day-to-day functioning, such as engaging in hobbies, driving, and discussing current events.

However, up to a third of patients experienced brain swelling, which was a prevalent side effect.

Although it was frequently asymptomatic or mild, as detected by brain scans, about 1.6% of patients experienced severe brain swelling, with two fatalities directly related to it and another volunteer passing away after developing such a condition.

Dr. Mark Mintun, Eli Lilly's Vice President of Neuroscience Research and Development, expressed optimism about the potential therapeutic benefits of donanemab, while acknowledging that, like many successful treatments for severe and lethal illnesses, there may be significant and potentially life-threatening risks.

The company announced that it plans to commence the process of obtaining approval for hospital use of its medication in the coming months.

According to Dr. Liz Coulthard of the University of Bristol, while there were notable adverse effects and insufficient long-term data, the medication has the potential to "prolong a good quality of life for those with Alzheimer's."

THOUGHT İMPOSSİBLE

The fact that two drugs that target amyloid in the brain have shown to slow the disease has given scientists hope and confidence in their approach after years of setbacks and disappointments.

Prof John Hardy, the pioneer of targeting amyloid for Alzheimer's treatment, says having two drugs slow the disease is a sign that doubts about this approach should be dispelled and the competition between the two drugs is great.

Dr Susan Kolhaas of Alzheimer's Research UK stated that we are on the brink of a breakthrough in Alzheimer's disease treatment, which was previously deemed impossible a decade ago.

These drugs seem to be effective only in the early stages of the disease, before the brain has suffered significant damage.

Approval of these drugs in the UK alone would not be enough to make a difference without a revolution in how the disease is diagnosed.

Only a small percentage of people undergo brain scans or spinal fluid analysis to confirm whether they have Alzheimer's or another form of dementia, rendering the drugs ineffective for the majority of patients.

The affordability of these drugs would have to be evaluated by the NHS as Lecanemab comes at a cost of over £21,000 per person per year.