US pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly has announced a promising new development in the creation of Alzheimer’s disease treatments. The company’s experimental drug donanemab has shown incredible potential to slow the progression of cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s sufferers, with reductions of between 32% and 39% compared with a placebo being consistently recorded in clinical trials.
Donanemab works by removing toxic amyloid plaques in the brain, with up to 47% of patients involved in the clinical study having no disease progression whatsoever. The drug is an antibody treatment and it works to breakdown the plaques between brain cells, restoring communication and improving cognitive function.
The release of a new treatment for Alzheimer’s could revolutionize the healthcare sector, as estimates show that the number of people living with dementia worldwide could triple to 153 million by the year 2050. Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of dementia, and currently, there are only five approved treatments available for the disease.
However, despite these promising results, the drug could potentially carry some concerning side-effects, including brain swelling and bleeding. Patients taking donanemab must also receive monthly infusions in hospital, which may impact the accessibility and cost of the drug once it is made available.
Various other pharmaceutical organizations have attempted to create a treatment for Alzheimer’s in the past. The majority of these studies have failed, leading to a high level of skepticism and doubt in the sector. However, with the success of both donanemab and other drugs such as Leqembi, there is renewed hope for those who suffer from the debilitating condition.
Eli Lilly hasn’t yet released all the trial data for independent verification, so it is difficult to say what the final outcome of the research will be. However, the progress made thus far is significant, and Eli Lilly is set to make an application for final approval from the FDA next month. If approved, this could mark a turning point in the treatment of Alzheimer’s, with new treatments and therapies based on similar methods potentially waiting in the wings.
