A new dawn in the fight against Alzheimer’s?

Promising news in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease: a new drug called Donanemab has shown to slow cognitive decline by 35% in late-stage trials, offering a potential new treatment for the condition. The drug met all goals of the trial and proved effective in slowing the progression of the disease in 1,182 people with early-stage Alzheimer’s. These results come just one year after the successful trials of Lecanemab, a drug that reduced the rate of cognitive decline by 27% in patients with early Alzheimer’s.

According to Dr. Richard Oakley, the associate director of research at the Alzheimer’s Society in the UK, “This could be the beginning of the end of Alzheimer’s disease”. Maria Carrillo, the chief science officer of the Alzheimer’s Association in the US, also praised the trial results, saying “these are the strongest phase 3 data for an Alzheimer’s treatment to date.”

Despite the positive results, there were some side effects reported, including brain swelling and bleeding. However, Dr. Susan Kohlhaas, the executive director of research and partnerships at Alzheimer’s Research UK, emphasized that these results were “incredibly encouraging” and represent “another hugely significant moment for dementia research.”

Lilly, the maker of Donanemab, plans to apply for approval from the US Food and Drug Administration next month, and with regulators in other countries shortly thereafter. While more research and scrutiny is needed, these recent developments offer hope for the millions of people affected by Alzheimer’s disease and their families.