The first-ever drug approved to slow the rate of Alzheimer’s disease has been approved by the FDA for sale in the US. Leqembi, which is made by the companies Eisei and Biogen, has been found to slow symptom progression by 27%.
“Leqembi is the first fully FDA approved drug that is disease modifying for Alzheimer’s disease; a milestone in this field,” Thomas Wisniewski, director of Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center at NYU Langone Health, said in a statement. “However, the drug is appropriate for a select set of patients with early disease and the clinical benefits are relatively modest.”
The CEO and president of the Alzheimer’s Association, Joanne Pike, said that “this treatment, while not a cure, can give people in the early stages of Alzheimer’s more time to maintain their independence and do the things they love. This gives people more months of recognizing their spouse, children and grandchildren. This also means more time for a person to drive safely, accurately and promptly take care of family finances, and participate fully in hobbies and interests.”
Sources:
Here’s what you need to know about the FDA’s approval of an Alzheimer’s drug (msn.com)
The FDA Just Approved a “Milestone” Alzheimer’s Drug: What Leqembi Means For Patients (yahoo.com)
