A new clinical trial has confirmed the efficacy of a new Alzheimer's drug that slows the disease's destruction of the brain and reduces cognitive decline in patients with the early stages of Alzheimer's disease.
The new drug would end decades of credit for creating effective treatments for neurological disease.
Currently, people with achilles disease are given medications to help manage their symptoms, but these drugs cannot change the course of the disease, which affects millions of people around the world.
The new drug, called "lecanimab", which is given every two weeks intravenously, attacks the protein "beta-amyloid", which builds up in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease.
Published on Wednesday, the data confirms, according to The Telegraph, that licanimab slows cognitive decline by 27% in patients.
The results of the third phase of the clinical trial, which is the first of its kind, showed that the drug can slow Alzheimer's disease.
Experts hope that the drug, made by the Tokyo-based pharmaceutical company Eisai, which has partnered with US biotech company Biogen, will be available by the end of 2023.
Experts confirm that licanimab slows the rate of worsening of symptoms over an 18-month period.
Professor Bart de Strooper, director of Dementia Research UK, said: "This trial proves that Alzheimer's disease can be treated.
"I look forward to a future where we treat this and other neurological diseases with a range of medicines that are adapted to the individual needs of our patients," Strober was quoted as saying by The Telegraph.
It is noteworthy that about 1800 people with early Alzheimer's disease were recruited for the study, and they were classified according to their symptoms.
In the placebo group, the average patient's disease score worsened by 1.66. However, for the new treatment, the average was 1.21, a slowdown of 27%.
Professor John Hardy, group leader at the Institute for Dementia Research UK at UCLA, said: "This trial is an important first step, and I truly believe it marks the beginning of the end."
These findings convincingly demonstrate, for the first time, the link between removing amyloid and slowing the progression of Alzheimer's disease.
The treatment works by targeting and flushing out the plaque that collects around brain cells, which helps keep neurons functioning normally for longer.
The findings, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, were presented at the Clinical Trials Conference on Alzheimer's Disease (CTAD) and also showed that the drug helped people go about their daily activities.
Dr Susan Koolhaas, director of research at Alzheimer's Research UK, called the findings "truly a historic moment".
"These exciting findings represent a major step forward for dementia research, and could herald a new era for people with Alzheimer's disease," Koolhaas said.
"This is the first time that a drug that reduces disease in the brain and slows memory decline has been shown in clinical trials," she added.
Dr. Richard Oakley, associate director of research at the Alzheimer's Society, said the drug "could be a game-changer" if continued research finds it to be as effective as it is believed to be.
However, the drug has been linked to some severe side effects, including brain bleeding.
In the trial, seven people in the treatment group died. Experts say more research is needed to learn about its safety profile.
Dr Oakley said: “We hope this drug will be appropriate for patients, but it will not be appropriate for every person with Alzheimer's disease, and it is just the first step in the journey towards a cure.
The two companies that developed the drug plan to obtain approval for the drug in other countries next year.
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