An experimental drug for Alzheimer’s has demonstrated a significant slowing of cognitive and functional decline associated with the disease, according to experts. Despite some patients experiencing serious side effects, United States pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly announced that in a late-stage trial of almost 1,200 people in the early stages of Alzheimer’s, the drug, donanemab, slowed the progression of symptoms by 35% over 18 months compared to a placebo. The effect was measured by cognition and the patients’ ability to carry out daily tasks, such as managing finances, driving, engaging in hobbies, and conversing about current events, in a standardised index called the Integrated Alzheimer’s Disease Rating Scale (iADRS).
Side effects included temporary swelling in parts of the brain, which occurred in almost a quarter of the treated patients. Lilly said the incidence of serious brain swelling in the study was 1.6%, including two deaths attributed to the condition, while a third might have also died from the treatment.
Nonetheless, the data was widely praised by independent experts, who said donanemab had the potential, if it secured regulatory approval, to significantly improve the lives of people suffering from the most common form of dementia.
2023-05-04 03:00:04 ‘Remarkable’ drug reduces Alzheimer’s decline, study shows
Article from www.aljazeera.com