The FDA approved Leqembi, an Alzheimer’s drug, on Thursday. According to the justification, a study proves that in the early stages it slows down the decline of the patient’s memory and thinking ability. The boss of the manufacturer, the company Biogen, Christoper A. Viehbacher, wants to bring the drug to the European market quickly.
Lecanemab is the first drug shown to slow the progressive decline in cognitive abilities caused by Alzheimer’s disease. Until now, only the symptoms of the disease – such as restlessness – could be treated with drugs, but not the course of the disease.
Co-developed by Biogen and Eisai, the drug Leqembi is the first to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, including memory and thinking disorders, by targeting the underlying biology of the disease. It was tentatively approved by the FDA in January in an accelerated process. The decision was unanimous and all FDA committee members voted to approve it because the study results would confirm the drug’s benefit, they say.
“Slows the progression of the disease”
The drug can’t cure the disease, Joy Snider, a neurologist at Washington University in St. Louis, told the Associated Press in January. “It doesn’t prevent people from getting worse, but it measurably slows the progression of the disease,” she explains of the benefits of Leqembi. “That could mean that someone can drive a car for half a year to a year longer,” says the doctor.
Alzheimer’s disease is characterized by deposits of proteins in the brain years before the first symptoms appear. The lecanemab antibody captures the protein amyloid-beta (Abeta) in the patient’s brain, where it is deposited in the form of so-called plaques.
Disease progresses slowly
These plaques are a key feature of Alzheimer’s disease and are believed to be a contributing cause of the disease. The deposits are responsible for the death of nerve cells in the brain, leading to forgetfulness, confusion, speech disorders or disorientation. The disease progresses slowly, making it increasingly difficult for those affected to cope with everyday life.
The most common form of Alzheimer’s dementia
The condition is the most common form of dementia. According to the “Dementia Report”, there are approximately 140,000 people living with dementia in Austria. In two thirds of them, ie 93,000 patients, Alzheimer’s disease is the cause.
Source: Krone
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