Lecanemab inhibits the disease, but has side effects
The New England Journal of Medicine has published new results on the drug candidate lecanemab for early-stage Alzheimer’s disease. It prevents the disease, but also has side effects.
Lecanemab is a monoclonal antibody that binds to amyloid proteins that are elevated in the brain in Alzheimer’s disease. Lecanemab was actually able to affect these amyloid proteins. But if the disease persists in the meantime, it won’t do much good.
The good news in this new study is the positive effect it measures on the symptoms of the disease. Participants who took this drug became 27 percent less worse than participants who took a placebo (dummy drug). This is a modest effect, unfortunately for lecacemab users, that comes with more side effects such as swelling and bleeding in the brain.
More research is needed
The study involved nearly 1,800 people ages 50 to 90 with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease. They had a scan or measurement that showed they had mild cognitive problems (such as memory loss) and high levels of these amyloid proteins.
The study lasted 18 months. Researchers are still too short on the efficacy and safety of lecanemab in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease to get a good picture. They propose a longer follow-up study.
Source: Gezondheids Net
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David Jackson is a highly respected health journalist and author at The Nation View. He have a background in biology and medicine, he has a deep understanding of the latest medical research and healthcare trends. He writes about a wide range of health topics, including disease prevention, health policy, and the latest medical treatments and technologies.
