Breakthrough drug known as donanemab emerge as a significant milestone in the battle against Alzheimer’s disease

A groundbreaking drug called donanemab has emerged as a significant advancement in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease, as it has shown the ability to slow down cognitive decline in a global clinical trial.

Eli Lilly, a US pharmaceutical company, presented the full findings of the phase 3 clinical study of donanemab at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference. The results demonstrated that the antibody treatment slowed the progression of the disease by approximately 35% in the early stages.

In individuals with dementia, a toxic protein accumulates in the brain. Donanemab reportedly helps eliminate this specific protein in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease.

The trial involved 1,736 participants with an average age of 73 who had mild to moderate Alzheimer’s symptoms. Half of the participants received intravenous infusions of the treatment, while the other half received a placebo every four weeks for 18 months.

The drug developed by Eli Lilly effectively slowed the progression of the disease, particularly in its earlier stages.

While donanemab does not provide a cure, charitable organizations have highlighted that the findings published in the journal JAMA represent a new era in Alzheimer’s treatment.

It is important to note that donanemab specifically targets Alzheimer’s disease and has not demonstrated effectiveness in treating other forms of dementia, such as vascular dementia.

The drug is currently being evaluated by the UK’s drug regulatory agency for potential use within the National Health Service (NHS).

During the trials, donanemab showed a reduction of approximately one-third in the progression of the disease.

Eli Lilly, based in Indianapolis, manufactures donanemab and also produces lecanemab, another drug developed by Eisai and Biogen that gained global attention for its ability to slow down Alzheimer’s disease.

Although these drugs hold great promise, it is essential to acknowledge that they are not without risks.

Brain swelling was identified as a common side effect, affecting up to a third of patients in the donanemab trial. However, for the majority of patients, the swelling resolved without causing any symptoms. Unfortunately, two participants and possibly a third experienced fatal brain swelling as a result.