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The Alzheimer’s medication lecanemab, which was once hailed as a breakthrough, is currently under investigation because of serious side effects.
Concerning side effects have hampered lecanemab’s promise as a revolutionary Alzheimer’s treatment.
While Alzheimer’s can’t be cured, a new drug lecanemab that promised to reduce its progression was considered a breakthrough in its treatment. The drug reportedly gave the patient nearly four or six months more of a healthy life. However, a recent study has shed light on some concerning side effects of the medicine. The shocking findings revealed that the drug may cause 25 percent more deaths among patients.
As per the findings, this drug tripled the risk of death within just one year, compared to those Alzheimer’s patients who were not given it. The research claimed lecanemab can result in an additional 21 deaths per 10,000 patients taking the medicine.
During the trial in America, about one in ten patients experienced swelling in the brain after taking lecanemab. Meanwhile, six in ten participants had suffered from brain bleeds. Three patients reportedly succumbed to death during the trial and all of them had the same gene called APOE4, which can be found in 15 percent of the people battling Alzheimer’s disease.
Earlier this year, the NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) in England refused to fund the medicine, considering its “relatively small benefits.”
Robert Howard, one of the authors of the research, said, “The idea that lecanemab is a miracle drug is not supported by the evidence from the trials. It’s even dubious to say that they slow down progression, as that is just an interpretation. Off the back of the NICE decision, these are important findings,” as quoted by The Daily Mail.
According to experts, almost 3000 patients took lecanemab after it was approved by US health officials in July last year. Lecanemab was claimed to minimise the toxic protein of the brain– amyloid which is a major cause of dementia symptoms. The drug has to be taken as an infusion along with donanemab, which is used for suppressing the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. These two medicines need to be given at a gap of 15 days.
UK regulators have also approved the usage of lecanemab in the country. The drug can be purchased privately for a cost of around £20,000 a year. The recent study, however, has raised questions on the efficiency of lecanemab.
Alzheimer’s disease is a common form of dementia which is often seen in older adults. This brain disorder gradually damages the memory cells, taking a toll on one’s thinking and reasoning skills.
