Study: Alzheimer's Drug Slows Cognitive Decline but May Have Serious Side Effects

Facts

• According to data presented on Tuesday, an experimental drug aimed at treating Alzheimer's, developed by companies Eisai and Biogen, slowed cognitive decline in a recent trial but may carry the risk of serious side effects.
• During clinical trials of the drug "lecanemab," two patients died from brain bleeds, and the Japan-based company Eisai says it's unable to rule out the possibility the drug was a contributing factor, although they deny that the drug directly caused the deaths. Both patients — a 65-year-old woman and a man in his 80s — were also taking blood thinners at the time of their deaths.
• Lecanemab reduces a key marker called the "amyloid beta protein" of Alzheimer's disease. Patients who received the drug showed improvement in cognitive and physical functions.
• Ronald Petersen, Dir. of the Mayo Clinic Alzheimer's Disease Research Center in Minn. said, "All of these amyloid-lowering drugs carry a risk for increased brain hemorrhage. I think the primary outcomes, the secondary outcomes, the amyloid-lowering is pretty impressive."
• More than 1,700 patients with early-stage Alzheimer's disease participated in the clinical trial. In the lecanemab group, more than 17% of patients exhibited symptoms of a brain bleed when compared to 9% in the placebo group.; other conditions such as brain swelling occurred in 12.6% of patients when compared to 1.7% of those in the placebo group.
• The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is scheduled to decide on accelerating the approval of the drug as early as Jan. 2023. If approved, this could represent a win for patients of a disease that impacts 6M Americans.

Sources: Reuters, Financial Times, Washington Post, Daily Sabah, and Economic Times.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by Alzforum. This unprecedented and historical moment in the development of Alzheimer's therapies is a big win for the Alzheimer's community — including caregivers and patients alike. The results of the trial will likely lead to the FDA granting marketing approval for the drug and begin the dawn of a new era for the treatment of this horrible disease.
• Narrative B, as provided by New Scientist. This victory could come at a cost for patients who take the drug, considering the lethality of potential side effects. Before taking this medication, patients have to understand the risks and must consult with their doctors and families to determine if the positives outweigh the negatives.