Lecanemab has been shown to be effective in delaying the progression of Alzheimer's disease

Lecanemab is expected to work in Alzheimer's disease by reducing the build-up of sticky plaques known as beta amyloid in the brain. This is one of the likely causes of the development of this disease.

Research conducted on a group of almost 1.8 thousand patients with early-stage Alzheimer's disease showed that administering the injections at two-week intervals improved memory and cognitive abilities. The pace of unfavorable changes has been reduced by up to 27 percent. This means that the development of the disease is significantly slowed down, thus delaying the onset of changes that lead to disability.

The drug manufacturers Eisai and Biogen have already applied to the US Food and Drug Administration for accelerated approval of lecanemab. The company will also apply for full registration of the preparation in the US, Japan and Europe.

Comment by prof. dr hab. n. med. Konrad Rejdak, head of the Department and Clinic of Neurology at the Medical University of Lublin, president of the Polish Neurological Society for Medexpress:

This is an important signal and an interesting result regarding the validity of amyloid intervention. We have waited a long time for evidence that the amyloid hypothesis is valid for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease, but years of effort have not been in vain. The result at the level of almost 30 percent. the downturn has high significance characteristics. There is a long preclinical period in this disease. People who are symptomatic, as a rule, may already have a long-term disease process. Inhibiting it by 30 percent. is clinically significant.

The most important thing for patients is the ability to defer dependence on others. Affected patients, as the disease progresses, become more and more incapable of carrying out everyday life activities. Therefore, such a significant inhibition of this process is of great importance.