A groundbreaking drug proven to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease is set to be approved in the UK.
Lecanemab, developed by the pharmaceutical company Eisai, is a targeted antibody treatment that binds to amyloid – a protein that accumulates in patients’ brains.
1
It is intended to help remove plaque and slow cognitive decline and is given to patients every two weeks via an intravenous infusion.
The decision of the British Medicines Agency is expected to be announced shortly, but it is assumed that the treatment is approved there.
Lecanemab is already approved in the USA and costs around £20,000 per patient per year.
However, the application was rejected by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in July.
The EMA stated that the benefits of lecanemab do not outweigh the risk of serious side effects such as brain bleeding and swelling.
It was also said that the drug’s effectiveness in delaying cognitive decline was small.
A similar drug called donanemab, being developed by Eli Lilly, is currently being reviewed for approval in the UK by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
NHS England estimates that between 50,000 and 280,000 patients could be eligible for the new treatments.
A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan must be performed before the medication is administered, followed by either a PET-CT scan or a lumbar puncture to confirm Alzheimer’s disease.
In total, around 900,000 Britons suffer from dementia, with Alzheimer’s accounting for two out of three cases. The disease is the leading cause of death in the UK.
The number of cases is increasing, but there is still no hope of a cure as the drugs currently available can only alleviate the symptoms.
Lecanemab is being celebrated by experts as “the beginning of the end” of the disease because it slows cognitive decline in those affected by 27 percent.
Professor John Hardy, chair of the Department of Molecular Biology of Neurological Diseases at the UCL Institute of Neurology, described the drug as “groundbreaking”.
“There is no doubt that this is the biggest advance in 30 years,” he added.
In the past, you had five years before you had to go into a nursing home; today you may have seven years before you have to go into a nursing home.
Professor John Hardy
In November 2022, when the study results were published, he said lecanemab was “the beginning of the end” of Alzheimer’s disease.
“It slows down the progression of the disease by about 25 to 30 percent. So in the past you might have been able to wait five years before you had to go into a nursing home, now it’s maybe seven years,” added Prof Hardy.
Alzheimer’s Research UK called the same findings a “historic moment” for dementia research.
The possible decision by the UK Medicines Regulatory Agency this week would mean that the drug could be prescribed privately in the UK for the first time.
The National Institute of Health and Care Excellence will then advise whether the system should be introduced by the NHS.
An MHRA spokesperson told The Telegraph: “We are currently conducting a rigorous assessment of the evidence supporting the effectiveness of lecanemab in treating Alzheimer’s disease.
“Further information will be provided in due course.”
JOAN Murtaugh, 77, was one of the first people to use the “miracle cure”
She participated in a study of the drug after being diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and a high risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
Joan from Ohio can still live independently and says her memory has improved.
She told The Sun: “I feel completely normal and don’t have the problems I had.
“I am fully functional and my memory is much better than before.
“I am very active, drive regularly, work in the garden and cook, read a lot of books and have my life back.”
Husband Larry, 77, added: “From our perspective, this drug is little more than a miracle.”
The couple have been married for 14 years, since they met as widowers, and have a total of eight children and 25 grandchildren.
Joan first noticed her memory problems in 2016 and tests confirmed that MCI and Alzheimer’s plaques had formed in her brain.
MCI is an early stage of memory loss that is worse than normal aging, but not as severe as dementia – although 10 to 15 percent of those affected later develop dementia.
Joan jumped at the chance to take part in the Cleveland Clinic’s Lecanemab study, which found that the drug reduced brain damage by an average of 27 percent over 18 months.
It was the first drug to be proven to be effective in this way and was hailed as a groundbreaking innovation. However, scientists warn that it does not work for everyone and can have serious side effects.
Joan said, “I knew the Cleveland Clinic was a first-class facility, and when they said they had a drug that could help – and I desperately needed help – I took it. I had no concerns.”
After the 18-month trial period in 2020 and 2021, when she did not know whether she was taking the drug or a placebo, Joan now injects the real thing once a week at home.
It comes in an auto-injector similar to an EpiPen, an improvement since it was administered via infusion during the study.
In addition to medication, she also receives cognitive speech therapy.
Larry said: “When Joan was diagnosed, I was afraid it would be a downward spiral.
“In the past, when you mentioned Alzheimer’s, you were staring into an abyss. Now this drug offers great hope for the future.”
“I’ve noticed improvements in Joan’s short-term memory. She’s a fighter.”
