2023-07-15 13:41:00
Second new drug against Alzheimer’s shows promising results, marking a new era in treatment, says neurologist
Alzheimer’s, a disease that was once considered incurable, may now have a glimmer of hope. The results of the second new drug against Alzheimer’s are set to be announced on Monday, and experts are optimistic about the potential breakthrough it represents.
According to neurologist Niels Prins, director of the Brain Research Center, the new medications offer the possibility of combating the disease, which has never been achieved before in the field of Alzheimer’s treatment. Both drugs require intravenous administration and come with a hefty price tag. Additionally, the side effects can be severe, making the infusion process quite intense. Nevertheless, Prins sees this as the beginning of a “new era” in Alzheimer’s treatment, with the expectation that more medications, including a pill with fewer side effects, will become available in the future.
The Brain Research Center, among other institutions, has been conducting research on these drugs. In a groundbreaking approach, neither the doctor nor the patient knows whether they are receiving the real drug or a placebo during the study. This method aims to eliminate biases and provide more accurate results. While Prins cannot predict the exact outcome of the investigation, a press release from pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly and Company in May revealed promising statistics. It stated that 47 percent of participants who received the drug Donanemab did not experience any brain deterioration after a year, in contrast to 29 percent of participants who took a placebo.
Despite these positive findings, there is ongoing criticism of Alzheimer’s drugs. Some experts question whether patients truly notice a difference when taking the drug Lecanemab. In a recent article in NRC, neurologists emphasized that these medications are not a cure-all for the disease. They noted that even with the drugs, Alzheimer’s patients eventually end up in nursing homes. Prins acknowledges these limitations, stating that the drugs merely slow down the decline rather than improve memory recall. However, he emphasizes that the treated group did fare better than the untreated group, with the 47 percent improvement being significant.
This week, the AAIC International Alzheimer’s Congress is being held in Amsterdam instead of its usual location in the United States. The event will focus on the new drug and other studies related to Alzheimer’s. Meanwhile, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has yet to evaluate whether drugs such as Lecanemab and Donanemab will be approved for the European market.
As the fight against Alzheimer’s continues, the announcement of these promising results brings renewed optimism to researchers, patients, and their loved ones. While the road towards a cure may still be long, every small step towards better treatment options gives hope to those affected by this debilitating disease.]
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