The new drug could slow down the onset of Alzheimer’s disease
Clinical trial results for a new medicine for Alzheimer's Disease have been hailed by experts as a breakthrough. Lecanemab, a drug under active development, has been shown in a phase 3 trial to effectively delay the onset of dementia by decreasing protein buildup in the brain.
This drug could be one of the first steps in finding a cure for Alzheimer’s disease since it affects the onset of the disease rather than treating its symptoms. Read on to learn more about this exciting development.
About the Alzheimer’s study
After a year of new disease outbreaks and warning alerts, this news is a glimmer of hope. On Tuesday, the results of a long-awaited clinical trial were finally released in the New England Journal of Medicine. The announcement comes roughly two months after Biogen and Eisai found that lecanemab lowered cognitive and physical decline by 27%.
Even though the 12-month Phase 2 trial didn’t find any statistically significant difference between lecanemab and a placebo in patients with Alzheimer's disease, Phase 3 results did not disappoint. Phase 3 trial results show that after 18 months, lecanameb improved amyloid clearance and reduced cognitive impairment. Researchers suggest that this could eventually lead to a viable cure for the disease.
Concerns about possible side effects and risks
Eisai and Biogen discovered the medicine had unwanted side effects in a select few patients. When news spread that a lady participating in the lecanemab experiment had died of a brain hemorrhage on Tuesday, Eisai's stock plunged more than 6%. However, Eisai maintains that lecanemab was not responsible for the fatalities.
Patients taking blood-thinning medication may not be good candidates for this drug. The researchers will explore this drug further to fully understand the risks involved. Till then, people remain concerned about how safe this development really is.
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