Lecanemab, a new, FDA-approved medication to slow Alzheimer’s disease. Dr. Michael Rosenbloom, a behavioral neurologist at UW Medicine's Memory & Brain Wellness Center in Seattle explains how the drug works.
A New Hope to Slow Memory Loss.
A New Hope to Slow Memory Loss.
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00:00Alzheimer's disease is a type of dementia that affects over 6 million Americans.
00:05There is currently no cure and very few treatments.
00:09For many years, the idea of a drug that could affect the course of Alzheimer's seemed like science fiction.
00:16Now, it's becoming a reality.
00:19The drug, called Laconumab, which is sold under the brand name Lekembe,
00:24was recently approved by the FDA for treatment of early Alzheimer's disease.
00:29Dr. Michael Rosenblum of UW Medicine Neurology explains.
00:34This moment is extremely important because, for the first time,
00:38we have a drug that is approved for Alzheimer's disease that is developed to be disease-modifying,
00:45and it actually met its primary outcome measures.
00:48And even though the outcome was relatively modest,
00:51that is, 27% slowing of cognitive and functional decline over 18 months,
00:57this is still a step in the right direction.
00:59Laconumab is given by IV infusion every two weeks.
01:03It contains special antibodies that signal the immune system to clear away amyloid proteins
01:09that build up in the brains of people with Alzheimer's.
01:12This helps slow cognitive decline in early stages of the disease.
01:16It's not perfect.
01:18Some people did have side effects in clinical trials, but they were usually not serious.
01:23To qualify for the treatment, a doctor must determine that you have early Alzheimer's disease
01:28and have amyloid in the brain.
01:31Amyloid is detected either with a spinal tap or a brain imaging technique called a PET scan.
01:37If you have concerns about memory loss, talk with your doctor.
01:41As other potential Alzheimer's drugs advance through clinical trials,
01:45hopefully this is just the start of more, better treatments to address this disease.
01:53MedicalCityHospital.com