A new drug slowed the rate of cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s patients in large-scale clinical trials, according to its developers Biogen and Eisai.
What happened: Patients who received the drug, lecanemab, experienced 27% less cognitive decline than those who got the placebo in clinical trials involving 1,800 people with some form of cognitive impairment or mild Alzheimer’s.
- The drug works by reducing toxic plaques in the brain caused by build-up of a protein called amyloid, which many researchers believe is a leading cause of dementia.
Why it matters: If the data from the clinical trial is accurate, it would be a significant milestone in the effort to reverse cognitive decline and stave off dementia.
- “This is a historic moment for dementia research, as this is the first phase 3 trial of an Alzheimer’s drug in a generation to successfully slow cognitive decline,” said Dr. Susan Kohlhaas, Director of Research at Alzheimer’s Research UK.
Yes, but: Biogen and Eisai have yet to publish full, peer-reviewed results, and researchers will want to see those to better assess the drug’s effectiveness.
- Biogen’s last attempt at an Alzheimer’s drug, Aduhelm, initially seemed promising and received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), but was eventually abandoned by the company after heavy criticism from doctors and scientists who questioned its effectiveness.
What’s next: Biogen and Eisai plan to release full results from the trials in November and could receive initial FDA approval as early as January next year.