Another Significant Advance with an Alzheimer's Drug

[NJCher]

This is not the same one I posted about a few weeks ago. One of the experts quoted in the articles says "we are in a new era of disease modification for Alzheimer's disease."

This one is called "donanemab ." It is an antibody therapy that targets amyloid beta.There has, however, been two deaths attributed to side effects of this drug.

snip

'Remarkable' Alzheimer's drug reduces cognitive decline, study shows

US pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly on Wednesday announced its experimental Alzheimer's drug significantly slowed cognitive and functional decline, results hailed as "remarkable" by experts despite some patients experiencing serious side effects.

In an analysis of nearly 1,200 people in the early stages of the disease, donanemab slowed the progression of symptoms by 35 percent over a period of 18 months compared to placebo.

This was measured by cognition and their ability to carry out daily tasks like managing finances, driving, engaging in hobbies and conversing about current events in a standardized index called the Integrated Alzheimer's Disease Rating Scale (iADRS).

Side effects included temporary swelling in parts of the brain, which occurred in almost a quarter of the treated patients, as well as microhemorrhages that occurred in 31 percent of patients on the treatment arm and 14 percent of patients in the placebo group.

snip

Link to story at Medical Expess.

Link to previous post on new dementia drug (mentioned in article).

[Tucker08087]

1. This is such wonderful news!

I am my mom’s sole caretaker due to this disease. Compared to how I realize the end will be, I know at this point I’m still in the “easy” stage. It is a 24/7 commitment. I built an apartment onto my house and at first it was just routine building and creating a safe environment, doing meds, food, clothing, etc. I could still spend time on my side of the house, have company, go out occasionally. Then that was impossible. I was with her from the time she woke up until she was asleep. Then nights became the hardest time. Now I sleep over there. Sometimes with her in her bed if I’m afraid she might wander. Looking at it like I’m now the mom, I’d say she’s in the 3 year old range now. A few days ago she thought I was my sister. My heart was crushed but you can’t show it. Just yesterday I got her on the first of several medical options for treatment.
Thank you for this. I’ve lost most of my time for reading and research.
You have given me hope. I feel like I’m drowning and you have thrown me a life raft to cling to. And right now, that is everything. ❤️
(Sorry for the long post. Now I’m crying.)

[appalachiablue]

2. Thanks for posting, K/R

[bahboo]

3. too late for my mom, but I really hope for others, that this works...

just a horrible. disease....with no good outcome...

[question everything]

4. With caveats

The latest findings for Lilly’s drug suggest the benefits are relatively modest, however, and may be outweighed by safety risks for some patients, said Lon Schneider, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine who enrolled patients in the Lilly-funded study. The study found that donanemab increased the risk of serious brain problems.

Researchers designed Lilly’s drug donanemab and Leqembi, from Eisai and Biogen, to work by targeting and reducing amyloid, a substance that forms plaque in the brain and is a prime suspect in fueling the worsening of Alzheimer’s. The approach has been controversial because many of the failed drugs also targeted amyloid, but studies in recent years of Lilly’s and Eisai-Biogen’s drugs have bolstered the evidence.

In the study of more than 1,730 patients, the drug slowed patients’ decline by 35% compared with people who received a placebo over 18 months of treatment, Lilly said. Researchers gave the drug to elderly people who testing indicated were in the early stages of Alzheimer’s. Researchers gauged the drug’s effect by assessing various measures of memory and activities of daily living including driving and managing finances.

Leqembi slowed Alzheimer’s patients’ decline by 27% versus a placebo over 18 months in a separate study, though there were differences in the studies that make direct comparisons difficult. Yet Leqembi’s safety profile might give it an advantage over donanemab with other doctors and patients, analysts said. About 24% of patients taking donanemab had amyloid-related imaging abnormalities that included findings on scans such as brain swelling, while 31% had abnormalities that included bleeding, Lilly said. A majority of cases were mild to moderate, Lilly said. About 1.6% of the abnormalities were classified as serious, including two people who died from them and a third person who died after an abnormality, Lilly said.

The rates of brain abnormalities in the donanemab study were higher than what was seen in the separate study for Eisai’s and Biogen’s Leqembi, analysts said.

https://archive.is/nz27J

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The problem that I have always had with targeting amyloid is that many do have amyloid in their brains but have never shown signs of dementia.