There is excellent news in the medical world now that a brand-new drug has shown proven signs of slowing down cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s, marking a new era for treatment.
A groundbreaking drug known in medical terms as donanemab has become a breakthrough in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease.
Although it is not a cure, clinical trials have proven that the antibody medicine can have significant effects when used as a treatment in the early stages. Let’s fill you in.
Donanemab set to be a game changer − a turning point in the fight against Alzheimer’s
Recently, donanemab was confirmed by global clinical trials and has proven its ability to slow cognitive decline, marking a new era for treating Alzheimer’s disease.
The revolutionary drug is set to be used during the early stages of treatment and works by clearing a protein that accumulates in the brains of people suffering from this type of dementia.
Since the results were published in the prestigious JAMA and signal the start of a new era, the UK’s drug watchdog is eager to assess its use within the country’s National Health System (NHS).
New drug hailed as turning point in dementia fight − the global trials
As with any medical breakthrough, it takes a lot of research and trials to determine the possible results of a drug, and luckily, donanemab slowed the disease’s pace by a third, allowing sufferers to live a more fulfilled life.
The trials, which included 1,736 individuals aged between 60 – 85 suffering from Alzheimer’s, included Mike Colley, an 80-year-old man who was one of the few UK patients to participate.
Hailing himself as “one of the luckiest people you’ll ever meet”, Mike says he feels more confident every day, and his son has stated that he thinks the decline “is reaching a plateau now”.
The trial, which featured half of the patients given donanemab and half who were given a placebo drug over 18 months, showed that patients could retain more of their daily routine, and the pace of the disease was slowed by 20%-30%.
Given its miraculous effects, half of the patients taking donanemab could come off the drug after a year. However, it is not without its risks.
The risks involved − patients are urged to be aware
While the news is excellent, patients are urged to become familiar with the risk involved, including brain swelling and other side effects.
Other drugs, similar to donanemab, have previously been rejected by European regulators over safety concerns. However, it’s hard to overlook the benefits of donanemab, given the fantastic results.
The Alzheimer’s Society recently said, “This is truly a turning point in the fight against Alzheimer’s, and science is proving that it is possible to slow down the disease”.
Concerning government funding, former UK Prime Minister David Cameron said, “We’re a country of sixty million people, with a million people with dementia, many of them in very expensive residential care settings, and so there is a lot of savings to be had from effectively treating people….I’m hopeful that our system can deliver.”
This new drug has sparked a sense of hope across the nation regarding Alzheimer’s treatments.
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