Trial drug shown to significantly slow early Alzheimer’s decline

Good news! It looks like we are coming closer to an effective treatment!

"A monoclonal antibody, donanemab clears away the plaque by targeting a specific kind of amyloid beta – pyroglutamate-modified amyloid beta.

The trial, known as TRAILBLAZER-ALZ 2, evaluated the safety and efficacy of donanemab on 1,182 people with symptoms of early Alzheimer’s disease, such as mild cognitive impairment. It was compared with lecanemab, another monoclonal antibody drug that targets amyloid beta. While both drugs are given intravenously, donanemab is given every four weeks, whereas lecanemab is given every two. ...

The trial produced some promising results. Assessing the participants’ iADRS scores, the cognitive and functional decline of those who received donanemab was slowed by 35% compared to the placebo group.

At the one-year mark, 47% of participants who took donanemab showed no decline in the CDR-SB, compared to 29% who were given the placebo. And participants on donanemab demonstrated a 39% lower risk of progressing to the next stage of the disease.
The drug significantly reduced brain amyloid plaque levels, as observed using positron emission tomography (PET) brain scans. 34% of participants with intermediate levels of tau protein achieved amyloid clearance at six months; 71% at 12 months. However, despite donanemab clearing amyloid plaques, the disease was not halted completely. ..."

Trial drug shown to significantly slow early Alzheimer’s decline A Phase 3 clinical trial of the drug donanemab has shown it can significantly slow cognitive and functional decline in people with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease, compared with existing treatments.

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