Lecanemab has the potential as a treatment for Alzheimer's disease, but the results also raise some safety concerns due to some major adverse effects.
Highlights:
In a study that could result in novel treatments for the neurodegenerative illness, lecanemab, a new medicine, was discovered to slow down cognitive deterioration in Alzheimer's patients.
On November 29, 2022, in San Francisco, California, the study findings were presented at the 15th Clinical Trials on Alzheimer's Disease (CTAD) Conference. Additionally, the New England Journal of Medicine published the report. - The number of Alzheimer's patients is growing rapidly and there is an urgent need for new drug therapies
- Alzheimer's patients who received lecanemab exhibited a moderately slower decrease in measures of cognition and function
- Lecanemab also had the risk of brain hemorrhage and swelling and should be further researched
Diseases Related to Old Age
Ageing is referred to the accumulation of changes that brings a person closer to death.
Ageing is referred to the accumulation of changes that brings a person closer to death.
‘Lecanemab decreased levels of amyloid in the brain and was linked to a slower decline of cognition and function than the placebo after 18 months, but it was also linked to adverse side effects.’
The FDA's expected approval of the amyloid-clearing and cognitive decline-delaying medicine lecanemab early next year will mark a significant advancement in the treatment of Alzheimer's, the study concluded. What is Alzheimer's Disease
It is estimated that by 2050 there will be approximately 30 million Alzheimer's patients worldwide and about six million in the United States.Amyloid beta, a protein found in the brain, is the first factor in Alzheimer's disease. Two or more decades before people experience their first neurological issues, the protein begins to accumulate into plaques. Tangles of tau, another brain protein, start to form after years of amyloid buildup. Cognitive impairment follows shortly after tissues in the affected areas start to wilt and perish.
Does Omega-3 Lower Risk of Alzheimer's Disease?
People with a higher omega-3 DHA level are 49% less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease. Simple dietary intervention can work better.
People with a higher omega-3 DHA level are 49% less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease. Simple dietary intervention can work better.
The goal of the Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF) is to significantly speed up the development of medications that can be used to halt, slow down, or even reverse Alzheimer's disease.
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Watch Out: Being Too Kind May Up Alzheimer's Disease in Elderly
Being too kind is bad for older people's brain health. Kind and more agreeable elderly people are more likely to develop memory-robbing diseases like Alzheimer's disease.
Being too kind is bad for older people's brain health. Kind and more agreeable elderly people are more likely to develop memory-robbing diseases like Alzheimer's disease.
Drug Pipeline for Treating Alzheimer's Disease
"Today's results show that lecanemab slows cognitive decline, which is welcome news for the millions of patients and families living with Alzheimer's," said Dr Howard Fillit, Co-Founder and Chief Science Officer at the ADDF. "But this is only a start to stopping Alzheimer's in its tracks. We have a lot of ground to cover to get from the 27% slowing lecanemab offers to our goal of slowing cognitive decline by 100%," said Fillit.A new generation of drugs targeting all facets of aging biology must be developed urgently to address the full spectrum of underlying pathologies that contribute to the disease, according to the study. Amyloid-clearing drugs are one component of the solution.
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Risk Factors for Alzheimers Disease
Cognitively normal adults exhibiting atrophy of their temporal lobe or damage to blood vessels in the brain are more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease.
Cognitively normal adults exhibiting atrophy of their temporal lobe or damage to blood vessels in the brain are more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease.
"Unique drug combinations matched to each patient's underlying pathologies is the answer, and our best hope is to give patients long-lasting relief from this insidious and progressive disease," said Fillit.
According to a recent report, the drug pipeline for treating Alzheimer's disease is stronger than ever, with 75% of medications currently undergoing clinical trials targeting new targets other than amyloid and tau.
"Today's news is encouraging for everyone who has worked on lecanemab and for those of us who have spent decades tackling Alzheimer's by improving clinical trial designs," said Fillit.
Source-Medindia
