New trial confirms efficacy of experimental drug against Alzheimer’s

A new clinical trial has confirmed the efficacy of the experimental drug lecanemab in slowing the effects of the disease Alzheimer’salthough it has also pointed out its adverse effects and the need for longer studies.

The phase three study, published by The New England Journal of Medicinewas carried out in various medical centers for 18 months, with a total of 1,795 patients between 50 and 90 years of age and in the early stages of the disease.

Clinical trial results show that the monoclonal antibody “reduces amyloid markers in the alzheimer early, and results in a moderately less decline in cognitive and function measures compared with placebo.”

In particular, the drug allowed to slow down this decline by approximately a quarter during the 18 months that the study lasted.

The conclusions of the study add, however, that the drug “was associated with adverse effects” and stresses the need for “Longer trials to determine the efficacy and safety of lecanemab in early Alzheimer’s.”

The results on the efficacy of the drug are similar to those announced last September by the Japanese pharmaceutical Eisai and the American Biogen, responsible for its development, in their own clinical trial.

That study showed a 27% reduction in the worsening of symptoms among the group that received the drug compared to the group that received the placebo, and already after six months “the treatment showed statistically significant changes” in cognitive evolution, according to both pharmaceuticals.

Eisai and Biogen plan to start the procedure to request authorization of the drug in the United States in January, and soon in Japan and Europe.