For the first time, the European Commission has approved a dementia medication that is aimed at the underlying disease processes. However, according to experts it is only possible for a small proportion of patients.
The antibody Lecanemab is intended for treatment at the early stage. It is directed against amyloid deposits in the brain and is supposed to slow down the course of the disease at an early stage. The new drug is only approved for patients with mild cognitive impairment or easier dementia at an early stage. There is also a genetic limitation, because the chance of serious side effects is less than others in certain patients.
Maximum 150,000 patients in Austria
The medicine could be available in a few months. According to the Ministry of Health, there are 130,000 to 150,000 dementia patients in Austria. It was concluded that the benefits of the drug in a certain group of patients and under certain conditions dominate the risks, the EU committee announced on Tuesday.
Help in daily life?
Previous dementia therapies only treat symptoms of the disease, not causing processes in the brain. However, Lecanemab is not about healing or improvement. “As soon as there is a full screen of Alzheimer’s disease, the statistically described effects for the patient and his environment are usually no longer perceptible,” said Walter Schulz-Schaeffer of the Saarland University Hospital in Homburg.
The manufacturer is obliged to work out detailed hand -outs and training courses for doctors and to set up an observation register. The medicine is administered intravenously every two weeks. The costs in Europe are still unclear. In the United States it was around $ 26,500 (around 23,000 euros) per patient and patient annually, John Levin from the Dzne who was estimated at the end of last year. There are also costs for diagnostics and administration.
Source: Krone
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