The US authorities have just approved Leqembi, an injection treatment offered in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease.
More than 55 million people suffering from Alzheimer’s according to the WHO. Research is trying to develop effective treatments for delay cognitive decline. In the US, the American Medicines Agency (FDA) approved on 6 January a new treatment against disease: Lequembi.
“Alzheimer’s disease impairs the lives of those who suffer from it immeasurably and has devastating effects on their loved ones”shares Billy Dunn, MD, director of the Office of Neuroscience at the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research in a statement. This treatment option is the last therapy to target and influence the underlying disease process of Alzheimer’s disease, rather than simply treating Ithe symptoms of the disease.”
A benefit for the brain
Administered by intravenous injections each the two weeks, the treatment has the active substance called lecanemab. It targets beta-amyloid proteins. “Though the specific reasons of Alzheimer’s disease is not fully known, it is characterized by changes in the brain“among other things by the presence of beta-amyloid plaques “which leads loss of neurons and their connections. These changes affect a person’s ability to Remember and think”explains the Danish Health Authority.
Before the drug was approved, it was tested during a test conducted among 856 patients with Alzheimer’s disease. The latter had mild cognitive impairment or a mild stage of dementia with the presence of beta-amyloid plaques. The volunteers were divided into two groups : one group received the treatment, the other a placebo. As reported by the FDA, researchers noted that in patients receiving Lequembi (10 milligrams/kilogram every two weeks), there a “significant” reduction cerebral amyloid plaque in 18 months around. In contrast, there was no reduction in beta-amyloid plaque in the placebo group.
More side effects
Drug treatment is therefore considered effective, but the FDA still warns of side effects related to infusion, “with flu-like symptoms, nauseavomiting and changes in blood pressure”and other related for imagery amyloid-related (ARIA) necessary for prescription treatment : “temporary swelling in areas of the brain”, “small bleeding spots in or on the surface of the brain”, “headacheconfusion, dizziness, changes in vision, nausea and seizures”.
Leqembi treatment can be given to patients with mild cognitive impairment Where a stage of mild dementia disease, “population in which the treatment has been studied in clinical trials”.
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