There is a “long way to go” before a new Alzheimer’s disease drug becomes available on the NHS after a clinical trial showed it delaying early memory loss, experts say.
Details of the international trial of the monoclonal antibody lecanemab were reported to the Clinical Trials on Alzheimer’s Disease conference and in the *New England Journal of Medicine*.
The double-blinded study, led by researchers at Yale University, USA, involved some 1,795 people over the age of 50.
It suggests the drug, which targets amyloid and tau proteins, could delay decline of cognitive skills and memory by more than six months.
Dr Richard Oakley, associate director of research at the Alzheimer’s Society, said: “Today’s exciting results offer our best hope yet for not only delaying symptom progression for people with early stage Alzheimer’s, but, significantly, slowing the loss of quality of life for them and their carers.
“They highlight more than ever the need to prioritise early diagnosis, through wider access to PET brain scans and research to get blood tests into the clinic, so people can access these drugs when they become available.”
He added: “The safety of drugs is crucial and lecanemab did have side effects, but they will be closely looked at when decisions are made about whether or not to approve lecanemab, to see if the benefits outweigh the risks.
“There is still a long way to go before we could see lecanemab available on the NHS, and we await clarity for how and when the approval process will take place in the UK, and whether regulators believe it is cost-effective. We mustn’t forget that lecanemab can only be given to people with early Alzheimer’s disease who have amyloid in their brain.”
The drug is one of three promising drugs being monitored by the Society.
*NEJM* 29 November 2022
Leave a Reply