Dr. Heather Snyder, Alzheimer’s Association vice president of medical and scientific relations, told MNT these are the most encouraging results in clinical trials treating Alzheimer’s to date.
“These results indicate lecanemab can give people more time at or near their full abilities to participate in daily life, remain independent and make future healthcare decisions,” she said.
“Treatments that deliver these benefits to those with mild cognitive impairmentTrusted Source (MCI) due to Alzheimer’s disease and early Alzheimer’s dementia are just as valuable as treatments that extend the lives of those with other terminal diseases,” added Dr. Snyder.
“I am hopeful from a research perspective, this is a breakthrough that those of us who study Alzheimer’s disease have been waiting for, but I am less hopeful that this will be the ‘big thing’ that will help most of my current patients. In clinical trials, participants who took this drug saw a 27% reduction over 18 months in expected cognitive decline which sounds really meaningful, but the real-world impact of this may not be noticeable to families and that’s what really matters. What is effective statistically isn’t always effective clinically. The full data set has not been realized yet so I remain open-minded that this could be a game-changer.”
When will the treatment be available?
Lecanemab may be on track to become available to patients aged 65 years and over in the U.S. as soon as next year, but the experts MNT interviewed cautioned that there is still a very long road ahead in finding the best, most effective treatment for Alzheimer’s disease.
“I think this drug is a monumental step in the right direction, but we are still probably 5-10 years from the type of powerful drug intervention we are all waiting for,” Dr. Sullivan added.
And while Dr. Porter called the clinical trial results “encouraging,” she said they are still learning more about Alzheimer’s disease that may impact future medications.
“We are learning that deposition of amyloid plaques leads to disorganization of another protein, tau, which creates ‘tanglesTrusted Source‘ that disrupt the critical connections between neurons,” she explained. “Potentially, combining an anti-amyloid drug (e.g., lecanemab) with an anti-tau compound may prove even more effective in putting the brakes on the neurodegeneration that is associated with Alzheimer’s.”
“We still have more to learn about the pathophysiology of Alzheimer’s disease and the primary, inciting events that lead to its development — which may prove to be the most effective targets for future therapeutic interventions,” Dr. Porter pointed out.
Dementia vaccines: What are they, and when could they become available?
Vaccines are arguably one of the greatest inventions of medical science of all time. Now, researchers are looking to take vaccine technology one step further to protect against neurodegenerative diseases like dementia. In this Special Feature, we asked experts about what is currently under development, how a dementia vaccine would work, and how quickly we may see one becoming available to the public.
Will dementia vaccines ever become reality? We asked the experts.
Dementia is an umbrella term referring to a range of disorders that affect the way in which a person’s brain works, causing symptoms including memory loss, behavior changes, and difficulty speakingTrusted Source and walking.
The most common form of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease, which accounts for 60% to 80% of dementia cases.
More than 55 millionTrusted Source people around the world have dementia, with about 10 million cases added each year.
There are some Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drugs for Alzheimer’s disease aimed at either changing disease progression or helping lower some symptoms of the condition. However, there is currently no cure for Alzheimer’s disease or most cases of dementia.
You must be logged in to post a comment.