New Drug: a Game Changer Against Alzheimer’s?

Following decades of dedicated work to find an effective treatment against dementia, the Alzheimer Society of Ireland (ASI) is welcoming a new drug that could potentially help thousands of patients dealing with cognitive decline and memory loss.

“Lecanemab is the most credible treatment option for mild cognitive impairment and early Alzheimer’s Disease the world has seen after decades of work,” states Dr Laura O’Philbin, ASI research and policy officer. “What’s really important is that scientifically now this is something that we can really build on, and that’s incredibly exciting.”

Produced by Japan-based pharmaceutical company Eisai and the American biotechnology company Biogen, the experimental drug Lecanemab slowed cognitive decline by 27% – compared with a placebo – in a closely watched trial that spanned 18 months and enrolled some 1,800 patients with early-stage Alzheimer’s. The drug could be available within a year or two for patients dealing with brain damage caused by the most common cause of dementia.