New Drug Found to Slow Early Alzheimer’s Disease Symptoms: Study
A new drug has shown promising results in slowing down cognitive and functional decline in individuals with early symptomatic Alzheimer’s disease (AD), according to the findings of a phase 3 clinical trial. The drug, known as donanemab, was developed by American pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly and Company and has the potential to provide significant benefits to patients.
The positive outcomes of the clinical trial were presented at the prestigious 2023 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) in the Netherlands and simultaneously published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). The data has brought hope to individuals with Alzheimer’s disease who are in desperate need of new treatment options.
Anne White, the executive vice president of Eli Lilly and Company, expressed her optimism about the drug’s potential. She stated, If approved, we believe donanemab can provide clinically meaningful benefits for people with this disease and the possibility of completing their course of treatment as early as 6 months once their amyloid plaque is cleared.
The phase 3 clinical trial included a total of 1,736 participants diagnosed with early symptomatic Alzheimer’s disease and amyloid and tau pathology, a predictive biomarker for disease progression. These participants were randomly assigned to receive either donanemab (860 participants) or a placebo (876 participants) intravenously every four weeks for 72 weeks.
The study’s authors noted that donanemab significantly slowed down clinical progression at 76 weeks in participants with low/medium tau pathology and in the combined population of individuals with low/medium and high tau pathology. Moreover, a further analysis based on age revealed that patients under the age of 75 experienced a greater benefit from donanemab.
In participants under the age of 75 (542 individuals), donanemab led to a 48% decline in cognitive decline as measured by the Alzheimer’s Disease Rating Scale (iADRS) and a 45% decrease in Clinical Dementia Rating-Sum of Boxes (CDR-SB), which is commonly used to diagnose dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Notably, the overall treatment effect of donanemab continued to grow throughout the trial, with the largest differences compared to the placebo observed at 18 months.
Liana Apostolova, a distinguished professor at the Indiana University School of Medicine in the US, highlighted the significant impact of diagnosing and treating Alzheimer’s disease earlier in its course. She stated, The delay of disease progression over the course of the trial is significant and will give people more time to do such things that are meaningful to them.
As the results of the phase 3 clinical trial demonstrate the potential benefits of treating Alzheimer’s disease at its early stages, there is renewed hope for individuals living with this devastating condition. Donanemab’s ability to slow down the progression of cognitive and functional decline offers a glimmer of hope to patients and their families. However, further research and regulatory approval are necessary before this drug can be widely prescribed. With ongoing efforts in Alzheimer’s disease research, there is renewed optimism for the development of effective treatments for this challenging neurological disorder.
Disclaimer: The information in this article is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional before making any treatment decisions.
