He American laboratory Eli Lilly announced promising results Wednesday from its experimental Alzheimer’s drug, something experts called “remarkable” despite some patients experiencing serious side effects.
The clinical trial, which included 1,200 participants with early forms of the disease, showed a 35% reduction in cognitive decline in patients treated with donanemab, according to a company statement.
Eli Lilly plans to apply for approval from the US drug regulator, the FDA, this quarter and around the world “as quickly as possible.”
However, the treatment can cause serious side effects, such as edema or cerebral hemorrhage. Three participants in the clinical trial died.
The clinical trial also measured the ability to perform everyday tasks, such as driving, conversing, engaging in hobbies, or managing finances. Over 18 months, participants who received the treatment showed a 40% reduction in their diminished ability to perform these tasks.
These results were enthusiastically received by experts, who signaled a turning point.
“These results confirm that we are entering the era of Alzheimer’s treatmentsaid Catherine Mummery, from the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in London.
It will now be possible “to realistically expect to be able to treat and stabilize a person with Alzheimer’s disease, with long-term management, rather than palliative and supportive care,” he added.
Research in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease was stagnant for decades.
But recently two new treatments, developed by the Japanese pharmaceutical Eisai and the American Biogen, were approved in the United States: Leqembi (whose active ingredient is called lecanemab) and Aduhelm (aducanumab).
The authorization of aducanumab was controversial because some experts pointed out the lack of evidence on its effectiveness, while lecanemab was the first to demonstrate a reduction in cognitive impairment (by 27%) in the context of a clinical trial.
In Alzheimer’s disease, two key proteins, tau and amyloid beta, accumulate in plaques that cause brain cell death and lead to brain shrinkage. This causes memory loss and an increasing inability to perform everyday tasks.
Like lecanemab, donanemab is a drug therapy antibodies targeting amyloid beta.
The experts said that the results from both drugs validated the theory that removing beta amyloid improves the course of the disease, and that future therapies targeting both proteins could have even better results.
Alzheimer’s affects more than 40 million people worldwide.
