A Turning Point in Alzheimer's Treatment
The US Food and Drug Administration approved lecanemab, an anti-amyloid antibody therapy, for early Alzheimer's disease. The approval follows an 18-month trial of 1,795 patients showing a 35% slowing in cognitive and functional decline compared with placebo.
How It Works
Lecanemab targets and clears amyloid plaques — protein clusters that accumulate in the brains of Alzheimer's patients — before they cause irreversible neurological damage. The drug is administered intravenously every two weeks.
- Eligible patients: early-stage Alzheimer's with confirmed amyloid build-up on PET scan.
- Annual treatment cost: approximately $26,500 before insurance.
- Major side effects: brain swelling (ARIA) in 21% of patients; serious cases in 3%.
"For the first time we are not just managing symptoms — we are modifying the underlying disease. That changes everything," said the lead trial investigator.
