Education | New Alzheimer's Drug Approved to Slow Disease Progression

by Aubrey Rhoden March 22, 2023

New Alzheimer's Drug Approved to Slow Disease Progression

Did you know, the Food and Drug Administration approved a drug, Lecanemab, which is effective in slowing Alzheimer's disease progression in the early stages of the disease?

Here's what we’ve learned:

Lecanemab, aka Leqembi,
Removes a sticky substance called amyloid from the brain. Amyloid plaques are at the root of Alzheimer's, which slow down patients’ loss of mental abilities.
Leqembi received what's known as accelerated approval, a conditional okay to market a drug based on its ability to remove amyloid from the brain.
The FDA is likely to consider a full approval later this year after reviewing the evidence that the drug also helps preserve mental function.
To qualify for treatment, people must undergo tests showing that they are in the early stages of dementia and that their brains contain the amyloid deposits.
If approved, Lecanemab is given intravenously every other week.