New study gives hope to Alzheimer’s patients

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50 million people worldwide are affected by Alzheimer’s. The disease of forgetting is bad for those affected and tragic for those around them. The best-known type of dementia cannot be cured.

A new Alzheimer’s drug offers hope. According to a study by manufacturer Eli Lilly, it at least slows the progression of the disease in its early stages. US pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly announced that an application for approval for donanemab must be submitted to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) before the end of this quarter. While experts spoke of “real progress”, they also warned of side effects.

The antibody donanemab targets amyloid plaques in the patient’s brain. Such protein deposits in the brain years before the first symptoms appear are characteristic of Alzheimer’s, the most common form of dementia.

35 percent less downtime

According to the company, in an 18-month so-called phase III study with more than 1,700 participants, people who took donanemab showed about 35 percent less cognitive impairment than those who took a dummy drug.

Although there is no evidence that the drug can reverse the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, the study also showed that patients treated with donanemab had a 40 percent lower ability to perform daily tasks.

Taking a similar approach, the drug Leqembi received approval in the US in January. It was developed by the US company Biogen in conjunction with the Japanese pharmaceutical company Eisai and contains the lecanemab antibody. However, both drugs received a lot of criticism for their side effects such as brain swelling and bleeding.

No game changer

Frank Jessen, director of the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy at University Hospital in Cologne, German Press Agency, said the results of the study on donanemab were “real progress for patients”. In principle, the effect of donanemab and lecanemab is comparable. “For a precise comparison, you need to see the study data and hopefully gain comparative experience with these substances in Germany in the future.”

“Donanemab is unfortunately not a game changer, but it could be the next step in the right direction,” said Linda Thienpont, Head of Science at the Alzheimer’s Research Initiative. “It can neither cure nor stop Alzheimer’s disease, but like lecanemab it can at least slow cognitive decline.” But Thienpont once again highlighted the sometimes serious side effects, where the effect is “expensive bought”. (nim/SDA)

Source :Blick