A new treatment for Alzheimer’s offers hope—but raises questions, too
1 year, 5 months ago

A new treatment for Alzheimer’s offers hope—but raises questions, too

Hindustan Times  

FOR DECADES the search for a drug to treat Alzheimer’s disease had seemed a costly wild-goose chase. In a trial involving 1,736 people showing early symptoms of Alzheimer’s, donanemab, developed by Eli Lilly, an American firm, was shown to have “significantly slowed” the progression of the disease—by 35% after 76 weeks by one measure. The result, which headlined the annual Alzheimer’s Association International Conference, held this year in Amsterdam, was hailed as a “breakthrough” and “turning-point”. Like its two predecessors, donanemab is an antibody whose target is a protein, beta-amyloid, that forms clumps, or plaques, in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s. The trial’s success is another piece of evidence in favour of the “amyloid hypothesis”—the idea that the plaques are not just a symptom of Alzheimer’s, but a cause.

Disease Donanemab  world  drugs  disease  offers  protein  hopebut  questions  raises  alzheimers  cause  living  donanemab  plaques  treatment  millions

History of this topic

Tens of thousands to be recruited into Alzheimer’s trials after landmark drug rejected
2 months ago

Tens of thousands to be recruited into Alzheimer’s trials after landmark drug rejected

The Telegraph  

Tens of thousands of people will be recruited into Alzheimer’s trials after a landmark drug was rejected for use on the NHS. Charities said the announcement was “another frustrating setback” for people affected by Alzheimer’s disease, describing the decision as “incredibly disappointing”. Hilary Evans-Newton, the chief executive at Alzheimer’s Research UK, urged Wes Streeting to “break the deadlock we’re facing, …

Alzheimer’s wonder drug blocked on NHS over cost
2 months ago

Alzheimer’s wonder drug blocked on NHS over cost

The Telegraph  

The most effective drug for Alzheimer’s has been blocked for use on the NHS. Regulators have declared the new treatment for the disease safe for use but the rationing body has immediately ruled that it is too expensive for NHS patients. The decision on donanemab – the second drug found to slow the progress of Alzheimer’s disease – mirrors that …

Second Alzheimer’s drug expected to be blocked for NHS use
4 months ago

Second Alzheimer’s drug expected to be blocked for NHS use

The Telegraph  

A second Alzheimer’s drug is expected to be blocked for use by the NHS, The Telegraph can reveal. This week, the breakthrough drug lecanemab was declared safe by the medicines regulator but was not approved for use on the NHS by the health service’s spending watchdog. Insiders told The Telegraph that the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, which …

What are the symptoms and treatments for Alzheimer’s – as new drug is rejected
4 months ago

What are the symptoms and treatments for Alzheimer’s – as new drug is rejected

The Independent  

Sign up to our free Living Well email for advice on living a happier, healthier and longer life Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. …

Weight-loss drug ‘could slow progression of Alzheimer’s disease’
4 months, 3 weeks ago

Weight-loss drug ‘could slow progression of Alzheimer’s disease’

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “While further research is needed, liraglutide may work through …

Eli Lilly Alzheimer's drug approved by US FDA
5 months, 3 weeks ago

Eli Lilly Alzheimer's drug approved by US FDA

Hindustan Times  

By Bhanvi Satija Eli Lilly Alzheimer's drug approved by US FDA July 2 - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday approved Eli Lilly's treatment for early Alzheimer's, making it the second therapy for slowing progression of the brain-wasting disease that will be available to U.S. patients. The approval for donanemab, to be sold under brand name Kisunla, followed …

An Alzheimer drug gets a boost
6 months, 1 week ago

An Alzheimer drug gets a boost

Live Mint  

Developing new medicines entails enormous risk and perseverance. Take Eli Lilly’s Alzheimer’s disease treatment donanemab, which a Food and Drug Administration advisory committee on Monday unanimously recommended for approval. After one pivotal trial in 2016 disappointed, some dismissed Lilly’s strategy of targeting amyloid plaque in the brain—a signature of the disease—and urged the company to abandon its Alzheimer’s drug research. …

Alzheimer’s drug that can slow disease gets backing from FDA advisers
6 months, 2 weeks ago

Alzheimer’s drug that can slow disease gets backing from FDA advisers

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — A closely watched Alzheimer’s drug from Eli Lilly won the backing of federal health advisers on Monday, setting the stage for the treatment’s expected approval for people with mild dementia caused by the brain-robbing disease. Food and Drug Administration advisers voted unanimously that the drug’s ability to slow the disease outweighs its risks, including side effects like brain …

FDA advisers strongly back new Alzheimer’s drug, despite risks and limitations
6 months, 2 weeks ago

FDA advisers strongly back new Alzheimer’s drug, despite risks and limitations

NPR  

FDA advisers strongly back new Alzheimer’s drug, despite risks and limitations toggle caption Andrew Harnik/AP Advisers to the Food and Drug Administration have recommended unanimously that the agency approve the Alzheimer’s drug donanemab. At a meeting Monday, the Peripheral and Central Nervous System Drugs Advisory Committee voted 11-0 that donanemab is effective at slowing down Alzheimer’s in the disease’s early …

FDA will take a deeper look into the safety and effectiveness of Lilly experimental Alzheimer’s drug
9 months, 2 weeks ago

FDA will take a deeper look into the safety and effectiveness of Lilly experimental Alzheimer’s drug

Associated Press  

INDIANAPOLIS — Federal regulators put off a decision on whether to approve an Eli Lilly Alzheimer’s drug by making an unusual request to have outside advisers look at the treatment. Eli Lilly and Co. Executive Vice President Anne White said in a statement that the Indianapolis-based company remains confident in donanemab’s potential and will work with the FDA. Donanemab is …

A trial to test a new path for preventing Alzheimer’s
1 year, 4 months ago

A trial to test a new path for preventing Alzheimer’s

The Hindu  

Last month, a wave of excitement swept through the world of Alzheimer’s research after Eli Lilly published results of a trial of their drug, donanemab. Elevated levels of amyloid form plaque and trigger another protein called tau that damages brain cells, causing the cognitive decline typified by the disease. One of these is the oxidative stress hypothesis, which suggests that …

Second Alzheimer’s drug in pipeline can slow the disease by a few months but with safety risk
1 year, 5 months ago

Second Alzheimer’s drug in pipeline can slow the disease by a few months but with safety risk

LA Times  

New research shows an experimental Alzheimer’s drug from Eli Lilly and Co. can modestly slow patients’ inevitable worsening, though it comes with safety concerns. Another experimental Alzheimer’s drug can modestly slow patients’ inevitable worsening — by about four to seven months, researchers reported this week. “Diabetes doesn’t have a cure either — it doesn’t mean you can’t have very meaningful …

Why is this Alzheimer’s breakthrough so important?
1 year, 5 months ago

Why is this Alzheimer’s breakthrough so important?

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Scientists found that donanemab was able to slow clinical …

Second Alzheimer’s drug in pipeline can slow the disease by a few months but with safety risk
1 year, 5 months ago

Second Alzheimer’s drug in pipeline can slow the disease by a few months but with safety risk

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — Another experimental Alzheimer’s drug can modestly slow patients’ inevitable worsening — by about four to seven months, researchers reported Monday. If cleared, it would be only the second Alzheimer’s treatment convincingly shown to delay the mind-robbing disease — after the recently approved Leqembi from Japanese drugmaker Eisai. “Diabetes doesn’t have a cure either — it doesn’t mean you …

New Alzheimer’s wonder drug ‘can slow disease progression by 60pc’
1 year, 5 months ago

New Alzheimer’s wonder drug ‘can slow disease progression by 60pc’

The Telegraph  

The NHS has just 88 positron emission tomography scanners which can detect amyloid plaques in the brain, one of the lowest per capita in the developed world. Hilary Evans, the chief executive of Alzheimer’s Research UK said: “Probably only two per cent of the people who could benefit from these drugs would necessarily get them because of those hurdles in …

New drug for Alzheimer's gives hope and ushers in new era in fighting the disease, says doctor
1 year, 5 months ago

New drug for Alzheimer's gives hope and ushers in new era in fighting the disease, says doctor

NL Times  

Alzheimer's used to be a disease that could not be cured. On Monday, however, the results of the second new drug for Alzheimer's will be announced, and that seems to herald a new era, says neurologist Niels Prins, director of the Brain Research Center. "It will be possible to counteract the disease, and that has never been done before in …

Alzheimer: This Country Has Approved New Drug That Will Combat Cognitive Decline
1 year, 5 months ago

Alzheimer: This Country Has Approved New Drug That Will Combat Cognitive Decline

News 18  

The US drug regulator gave full approval to a new Alzheimer’s medicine on Thursday, a move that makes it more widely available to the public through government-run health insurance for the elderly. “This confirmatory study verified that it is a safe and effective treatment for patients with Alzheimer’s disease,” senior FDA official Teresa Buracchio said in a statement. “This treatment, …

FDA panel unanimously endorses Lecanemab for Alzheimer's treatment, offering hope to millions
1 year, 6 months ago

FDA panel unanimously endorses Lecanemab for Alzheimer's treatment, offering hope to millions

Hindustan Times  

A major breakthrough in Alzheimer's treatment has emerged as the Food and Drug Administration panel unanimously endorsed the use of lecanemab to combat the progression of the debilitating disease. Clinical trial results of lecanemab were hailed as "robust" and "clear and consistent" by experts, offering a glimmer of hope for the estimated 6.5 million individuals affected by Alzheimer's. Researchers from …

Alzheimer’s drug gets FDA panel’s backing, setting the stage for broader use
1 year, 6 months ago

Alzheimer’s drug gets FDA panel’s backing, setting the stage for broader use

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — Health advisers on Friday unanimously backed the full approval of a closely watched Alzheimer’s drug, a key step toward opening insurance coverage to U.S. seniors with early stages of the brain-robbing disease. The FDA panel of outside advisers voted 6-0 that a large company study confirmed the drug’s benefits for patients with mild or early Alzheimer’s. The FDA’s …

Breakthrough Alzheimer’s drugs could be blocked by NHS, campaigners warn
1 year, 6 months ago

Breakthrough Alzheimer’s drugs could be blocked by NHS, campaigners warn

The Telegraph  

The first drugs to slow dementia could be denied to NHS patients because of rationing, campaigners and health experts have warned. Recent weeks have seen breakthroughs in Alzheimer’s research, sparking hopes of “the beginning of the end” of the disease, but the UK’s leading dementia charity fears the drugs will be blocked by NHS rationing bodies. Alzheimer’s Research UK has …

First ever drug found to slow Alzheimer’s submitted for approval
1 year, 6 months ago

First ever drug found to slow Alzheimer’s submitted for approval

The Telegraph  

The first ever drug found to slow Alzheimer’s has gone to Britain’s regulators for approval. The findings of the phase-three clinical trial were the first to ever show a drug can slow Alzheimer’s. Richard Oakley, Associate Director of Research at Alzheimer’s Society, said: “This is exciting progress and means that we could hear if lecanemab has been approved by early …

Benefits of lecanemab, a new Alzheimer's drug, unclear for patients of color : Short Wave : NPR
1 year, 9 months ago

Benefits of lecanemab, a new Alzheimer's drug, unclear for patients of color : Short Wave : NPR

NPR  

How well does a new Alzheimer's drug work for those most at risk? A new drug for Alzheimer's disease, called lecanemab, got a lot of attention earlier this year for getting fast-tracked approval based on a clinical trial that included nearly 1,800 people. The clinical trial for lecanemab was the most diverse for an Alzheimer's treatment to date, but it …

New insights into treatment of Alzheimer's disease: Research
1 year, 10 months ago

New insights into treatment of Alzheimer's disease: Research

Hindustan Times  

According to Alzheimer's Disease International, more than 55 million people worldwide will have Alzheimer's disease by 2020. In Alzheimer's disease, a small protein known as amyloid beta misfolds to intermediates that aggregate into larger macromolecular structures known as fibrils and plaques. Controversy over efficacy and notable side effects such as microhemorrhages and brain swelling highlight the need for better therapy …

US approves Alzheimer’s drug that modestly slows disease
1 year, 11 months ago

US approves Alzheimer’s drug that modestly slows disease

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — U.S. health officials on Friday approved a closely watched Alzheimer’s drug that’s been shown to modestly slow the early stages of the brain-robbing disease, albeit with potential safety risks that doctors and patients will have to carefully weigh. Last week, a congressional report found that FDA’s approval of a similar Alzheimer’s drug called Aduhelm — also from Biogen …

U.S. approves Alzheimer’s drug that modestly slows disease
1 year, 11 months ago

U.S. approves Alzheimer’s drug that modestly slows disease

LA Times  

This Dec. 21, 2022 image provided by Eisai in January 2023, shows vials and packaging for their medication Leqembi. U.S. health officials on Friday approved a closely watched Alzheimer’s drug that modestly slows the brain-robbing disease, albeit with potential safety risks that patients and their doctors will have to carefully weigh. Last week, a congressional report found that FDA’s approval …

Explained | Will new drug slow progress of Alzheimer’s?
2 years ago

Explained | Will new drug slow progress of Alzheimer’s?

The Hindu  

The story so far: In late November, news of the success of a drug to reduce cognitive decline in patients with Alzheimer’s disease burst on the horizon with all the promise of being a silver bullet. This class of drugs does precisely that.” As per the NEJM paper, the clinical trial, conducted over 18-months, a multi-centre, double-blind, phase 3 trial, …

Is the new drug lecanemab a breakthrough for Alzheimer’s?
2 years ago

Is the new drug lecanemab a breakthrough for Alzheimer’s?

Hindustan Times  

There’s news in the world of Alzheimer’s research. In a phase three trial, drug companies Biogen and Eisai reported this week that lecanemab, an experimental monoclonal antibody, reduced cognitive decline caused by the disease by 27% after 18 months. This trial proves that Alzheimer’s disease can be treated," Bart De Strooper, Director of the UK Dementia Research Institute, told reporters. …

Drug slows Alzheimer’s but can it make a real difference?
2 years ago

Drug slows Alzheimer’s but can it make a real difference?

Associated Press  

An experimental Alzheimer’s drug modestly slowed the brain disease’s inevitable worsening — but the anxiously awaited new data leaves unclear how much difference that might make in people’s lives. But Dr. Ron Petersen, an Alzheimer’s expert at the Mayo Clinic, said the drug’s effect was “a modest one but I think it’s clinically meaningful” -- because even a few months’ …

Breakthrough: A drug slows Alzheimer’s by 5 months, but will it make a big difference?
2 years ago

Breakthrough: A drug slows Alzheimer’s by 5 months, but will it make a big difference?

Firstpost  

On Tuesday, Japanese drugmaker Eisai and its US partner Biogen reported that an experimental Alzheimer’s drug had modestly slowed the brain disease’s inevitable worsening. However, it is unclear how much of a difference this would make in people’s lives An experimental Alzheimer’s drug modestly slowed the brain disease’s inevitable worsening, researchers reported Tuesday — but it remains unclear how much …

New drug appears to slow Alzheimer’s, but can it make a real difference?
2 years ago

New drug appears to slow Alzheimer’s, but can it make a real difference?

LA Times  

An experimental Alzheimer’s drug modestly slowed the brain disease’s inevitable worsening, researchers reported Tuesday — but it remains unclear how much difference that might make in people’s lives. Japanese drugmaker Eisai and its U.S. partner, Biogen, had announced earlier this fall that the drug, lecanemab, appeared to work, a badly needed bright spot after repeated disappointments in the quest for …

Drug that reverses dementia will be wasted without better diagnosis rates, experts warn
2 years ago

Drug that reverses dementia will be wasted without better diagnosis rates, experts warn

The Telegraph  

The latest published data shows that as of 2019, Britain had just 70 PET-CT scanning locations, less than half the number of those available in comparable EU countries. “We need everyone to be told which disease is causing their dementia symptoms, and if they have Alzheimer’s disease, a follow-up scan or CSF test to check if they are amyloid positive …

Alzheimer’s drug shows promise in early results of study
2 years, 2 months ago

Alzheimer’s drug shows promise in early results of study

Associated Press  

Shares of Biogen and other drugmakers researching Alzheimer’s disease soared Wednesday after Japan’s Eisai Co. said its potential treatment appeared to slow the fatal disease in a late-stage study. The drugmaker said early results showed that its treatment, lecanemab, reduced patient clinical decline by 27% when compared to a placebo or fake drug after 18 months of the infused treatment. …

'Huge breakthrough' for Alzheimer's
2 years, 2 months ago

'Huge breakthrough' for Alzheimer's

Daily Mail  

An experimental Alzheimer's drug slows the mental deterioration of patients battling the earliest stages of the cruel disease by more than a quarter, promising trial results revealed today. An experimental Alzheimer's drug, called lecanemab, has significantly slowed cognitive and functional decline by 27 per cent in a large patient trial Dr Susan Kohlhaas, director of research at Alzheimer's Research UK, …

Does new Alzheimer’s drug work? Answers may miss 2030 target
3 years, 5 months ago

Does new Alzheimer’s drug work? Answers may miss 2030 target

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — When a controversial Alzheimer’s drug won U.S. approval, surprise over the decision quickly turned to shock at how long it might take to find out if it really works — nine years. “We think nine years is unacceptable and our expectation is that it will happen in a much shorter time frame,” said Maria Carrillo of the Alzheimer’s …

Opinion: New Alzheimer’s drug sets dangerous precedent
3 years, 6 months ago

Opinion: New Alzheimer’s drug sets dangerous precedent

CNN  

Editor’s Note: Reshma Ramachandran, MD, MPP is a physician-fellow at the National Clinician Scholars Program at the Yale School of Medicine whose research and policy work centers on the realignment of incentives to ensure patients access to affordable, effective, and safe treatment. CNN — Last week, the US Food and Drug Administration approved aducanumab as a treatment for Alzheimer’s disease …

US Approves First New Alzheimer's Drug in Almost Two Decades
3 years, 6 months ago

US Approves First New Alzheimer's Drug in Almost Two Decades

News 18  

The United States on Monday approved a drug called Aduhelm to treat patients with Alzheimer’s, the first new medicine against the disease in almost two decades and the first to address cognitive decline linked to the condition. The decision was highly anticipated but also contentious, because an independent expert panel convened by the regulatory Food and Drug Administration last November …

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