Alzheimer’s ‘wonder drug’ slows progression of disease by four years - and could even reverse it
Alzheimer’s breakthrough as drug shown to delay progression by years
- A new study indicates that the Alzheimer’s drug lecanemab can delay the progression of the disease by up to four years.
- Patients in the earliest stages of Alzheimer's who received lecanemab showed improvement or no decline in cognitive function over a four-year trial period.
- The drug demonstrated particular promise for individuals with low levels of tau protein, with 69 per cent of this subgroup showing no decline and 56 per cent improving cognitively.
- Lecanemab, a disease-modifying drug targeting amyloid protein, was approved for use in the UK last year due to its effectiveness in slowing disease progression.
- Despite its approval, lecanemab, along with similar drugs like donanemab, was rejected for NHS use in the UK, as the benefits were deemed too small to justify the cost.