New drug claims to slow mental decline caused by Alzheimer’s
A new drug that claims to slow the mental decline caused by Alzheimer’s by 36 percent could mean “the beginning of the end” for the degenerative brain disease.
Donanemab — a drug taken as a monthly infusion for 18 months — was also found to halt a reduction in the ability to perform daily activities by up to 40 percent, according to initial findings published May 3.
And tomorrow, US pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly will unveil the full results of its trials of the drug – the second shown to slow the progression of dementia.
Less than a year ago, another drug called lecanemab was found to reduce cognitive decline in people with the memory-robbing condition by 27 percent. It was approved for use in the US on July 7, while the drug’s UK launch is “on the horizon.”
It comes just weeks after news presenter Fiona Phillips, aged 62, heartbreakingly revealed her shock Alzheimer’s diagnosis.
Dementia affects 900,000 people in the UK and an estimated 7 million in the US, while about 850,000 Britons and 5.8 million Americans have Alzheimer’s (file photo)
It comes just weeks after news presenter Fiona Phillips, aged 62, heartbreakingly revealed her shock Alzheimer’s diagnosis
To write for The mirrorDeputy Director of Alzheimer’s Society Dr. Richard Oakley, said: ‘After 20 years with no new Alzheimer’s drugs in the UK, we now have two potential new drugs in 12 months.’
Donanemab works by removing plaque clusters from the brain known as amyloid, which are closely associated with Alzheimer’s disease. It is given to patients by intravenous injections once a month for up to 18 months, or until the amyloid clusters in the brain are cleared.
The drug is a monoclonal antibody – a man-made protein that binds to amyloid clusters in the brain, prompting other cells to clear them.
In a phase 3 trial, donanemab slowed the decline in patients’ ability to think clearly and perform daily tasks by 36 percent compared to a placebo.
And tomorrow experts around the world will begin to weigh the risks of the breakthrough drug against the benefits, as such drugs can carry risk factors such as brain swelling and bleeding.
The results of the study on donanemab will be unveiled today at the Alzheimer’s Association international conference in Amsterdam, and the drug could be approved as safe in the UK within a year to 18 months.
The NHS would then have to weigh up cost-effectiveness when it comes to who to give the drug to. Experts fear this could lead to donanemab only being available to those who can afford to go private.
While the cost of donanemab has yet to be revealed, researchers have suggested it will cost $1,600 (£1,273) per dose or $20,000 (£15,909) per year.
And after the study’s initial findings were revealed in May, top doctors in the UK warned that the NHS is not ready to hand out the breakthrough medication and must now prepare for such treatments.
About 850,000 Britons and 5.8 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease.
The disease is the leading cause of dementia, a condition in which patients have a reduced ability to remember, think, or make decisions that interfere with daily activities.
Dementia affects 900,000 people in the UK and an estimated 7 million in the US.
The trial involved 1,182 people with early-stage disease and researchers found that donanemab reduced the progression of Alzheimer’s disease by more than a third compared to placebo.
The drug works by using the immune system to help remove toxic plaque buildup in the brain known as amyloid, which is a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease.
Nearly half of the trial participants (47 percent) had no evidence of amyloid plaques after 12 months, the company said, compared to 29 percent of the placebo group.
Those taking donanemab had a 39 percent lower risk of progressing to the next stage of disease compared to placebo, the study data showed.
Less than a year ago, another drug called lecanemab (pictured) was found to reduce cognitive decline in people with the memory-robbing condition by 27 percent
When follow-up brain scans showed amyloid cleared, treatment was stopped and volunteers were transferred to the placebo arm of the study.
It suggests this could be a way to ‘induce remission’ in Alzheimer’s disease and then monitor it without treatment.
The condition is considered a global health problem because people are living longer. It is putting increasing pressure on healthcare systems, including in the UK.
Treating and caring for patients with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia costs the UK an estimated £25 billion a year, the vast majority of which goes to social care spending, according to Alzheimer’s Research UK.