Yet another new drug can temporarily hold off the mental decline caused by Alzheimer’s disease, scientists say.
The finding comes just weeks after the U.S. Food & Drug Administration gave full approval to another drug, called lecanemab (brand name Leqembi), that can also slow the disease’s progression. Last summer another similar drug, known as aducanumab (Aduhelm), received accelerated approval, though access to it is still very limited.
These drugs target amyloid, a sticky protein that piles up in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s. The arrival of this new treatment approach marks a turning point in what has been a long, hard slog to come up with ways to slow the disease.
“I think this truly represents a sea change,” says neurologist Jeffrey Cummings of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. “It’s one of the rare times where it’s OK to use the word ‘breakthrough.’”
2023-07-17 09:16:16
Original from www.sciencenews.org