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Lecanemab: Alzheimer's Drug Can Slow Cognitive Decline As Per New Data

New Alzheimer drug Lecanemab by Eisai Co. & Biogen Inc shows positive results to treat Alzheimers. Read more to know the details!

<div class="paragraphs"><p>Source: xb100 on Freepik</p></div>
Source: xb100 on Freepik

Alzheimer's patients have experienced a roller-coaster ride of ups and downs during the past few years in the pursuit of Alzheimer's therapy. As US health officials ponder authorising the Lecanemab medication, researchers provided further information on the risks and benefits of the treatment on Tuesday in the wake of new evidence from a closely followed Alzheimer's disease trial.

In a study involving more than 1,700 patients with beginner-stage Alzheimer's disease, researchers discovered that Lecanemab, a drug produced by Eisai Co. and Biogen Inc., significantly delayed cognitive decline over an 18-month period compared to a placebo. According to scholars, the medication had a minor effect and was connected to brain hemorrhage and edoema. They recommended conducting a thorough investigation into the treatment over a longer time frame.

Since Eisai released early data in September, Alzheimer's scientists have been eagerly awaiting the study results. Lecanemab has produced better results than aducanumab, which Eisai developed and tested in collaboration with the American biotech firm Biogen. Positive outcomes for Eisai took a while to materialise. But these findings support the notion that lowering amyloid has measurable positive effects on Alzheimer's patients' brain function. This has encouraged doctors and patients to be hopeful that a new medication that has been shown to help Alzheimer's patients is on the way.

Lecanemab has been conditionally approved by the FDA at the request of the pharmaceutical companies after a previous study revealed that it reduced amyloid levels, a brain protein associated to Alzheimer's disease. The agency's decision is anticipated on January 6th. The organisation in charge of the creation of Lecanemab, Eisai, has further declared that it plans to use the results of the current research to seek complete approval.

Lecanemab research started in the middle of the 1990s while the company's scientists were looking for a medication to treat Alzheimer's. It was the first anti-amyloid medication to help patients reduce their cognitive deterioration in a phase 3 study, according to a report made by Eisai in September 2022.

Lecanemab currently seems to have lesser negative effects than aducanumab. However, when compared to 9% of patients in the placebo group, over 17% of those who received Lecanemab had signs of cerebral bleeding. Brain swelling occurred in 12.6% of those who received the medicine, but it was curable if the medicine was stopped or the dosage was lowered. The majority of them were found during brain scans, and the patients did not report any side effects.