Globally, no fewer than 55 million people suffer from brain degeneration, and in 60-70% of cases, Alzheimer’s is the reason. In many parts of the world, scientists have long tried to find drugs that can stop the progression of this disease.
And on that path, an important step may now have been taken.
In the so-called third phase experiments, the researchers say that a certain substance was able to slow down the cognitive decline of a large group of Alzheimer’s patients by 27% in 18 months.
This is stated in the press release of the pharmaceutical companies Biogen and Eisai.
In the experiment, 1,795 Alzheimer’s patients took part, all with the disease in the early stages, and the experiment lasted one and a half years.
Half of the participants were injected with Lecanemab twice a week, while the other half were injected with a placebo.
Serious side effects
During the trial, the doctors listed quite a few risk factors related to Lecanemab.
- 12.5% of those who received the drug developed encephalitis.
- 17% of those who received the drug had mild brain bleeds.
- But only 3% of those who received the drug had some symptoms of swelling or bleeding.
- In comparison, researchers recorded brain inflammation in 40% of those who received the drug aducanumab, which is approved in the United States.
At the beginning, it was carefully monitored how far the disease had progressed, and afterwards it could be seen that those who had received the drug performed 0.45 points better on an 18-point scale than those who received a placebo.
But although the results are encouraging according to the scientists, it is right to wait for a while before celebrating. Steen Fredriksen, chief physician at the Dementia Research Institute of Denmark, says about this:
“We have only seen the results in a press release from the pharmaceutical companies. Based on them, however, I am moderately optimistic. The drug seems to affect both the development of the disease and typical symptoms, such as the patients’ memory and their ability in daily life,” he says.
Could be the first step
Lecnemab is a so-called antibody that directly attacks the protein beta-amyloid, which accumulates in clumps and which some researchers believe is the cause of Alzheimer’s.
In that respect, the substance is reminiscent of the drug Aduhelm, which is approved in the United States. In contrast to Aduhelm, Lecanemab also attacks the beta-amyloid fragments that have not yet stuck together.
If the final results turn out to be as good as from this experiment, the drug could become the first in Europe that not only reduces the development of the disease, but stops it.
