FDA approved treatment for Alzheimer’s which slowed cognitive deterioration in patients involved in the clinical trial.
Just days into the new year, a new drug has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat Alzheimer’s disease, which has been earlier deemed as incurable.
Lecanemab, marketed as Leqembi by biotechnology companies Biogen and Eisai, is another breakthrough drug for Alzheimer’s which is an intravenously administered humanized monoclonal antibody that targets amyloid, the toxic protein in the brain linked to the cognitive disease, reported UK-based the Guardian.
“Alzheimer’s disease immeasurably incapacitates the lives of those who suffer from it and has devastating effects on their loved ones. This treatment option is the latest therapy to target and affect the underlying disease process of Alzheimer’s, instead of only treating the symptoms of the disease,” said Dr Billy Dunn, the director of the Office of Neuroscience in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.
Concluded research showed that some of the common side effects were infusion-related reactions, headaches and Aria (amyloid-related imaging abnormalities), which presents itself in the form of brain swelling and bleeding.
The manifestations of these effects include headache, confusion, dizziness, vision changes, nausea and seizure.
Just like most treatments currently available for Alzheimer’s, the cognitive deterioration will only be slowed down to buy some more time for families and have more time with someone who suffers from the disease.
“This drug is not a cure. It doesn’t stop people from getting worse, but it does measurably slow the progression of the disease,” said Joy Snider, a neurologist at Washington University in St. Louis, in an interview with NBC, reported the Philippine News Agency.
“That might mean someone could have an extra six months to a year of being able to drive.”
The drug is set to be sold for about $26,500 for a year’s worth of treatment, a costly price to pay in return for a much improved quality of life.
Tags: #drug, #alzheimers, #treatment