A treatment from Eli Lilly demonstrated, in a large-scale clinical study, that it slows the cognitive decline associated with Alzheimer’s disease, this American pharmaceutical group announced on Wednesday, according to AFP.
The results were enthusiastically received by experts, who hailed the entry of a “new era” in the management of Alzheimer’s disease, thanks to several recent breakthroughs.
The clinical trial, which included 1,200 participants who had not yet reached an advanced stage of the disease, showed a 35 percent reduction in cognitive decline in patients treated with donanemab, according to a company release.
Eli Lilly plans to submit an application to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as early as this quarter and worldwide “as soon as possible.”
However, the treatment can have serious side effects, such as cerebral edema or haemorrhages. Three participants in the clinical trial died.
The clinical trial also measured the ability to perform daily tasks such as driving, conversation, leisure activities or managing finances. Over 18 months, participants who received the treatment showed a 40% reduction in the decline in their ability to perform these tasks.
“These results confirm that we are entering the era of Alzheimer’s treatment,” enthused Catherine Mummery from the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in London.
It will now be possible “to realistically expect to be able to treat and stabilize a person with Alzheimer’s through long-term management rather than palliative and supportive care,” she added.
Research into the fight against Alzheimer’s has stagnated for decades.
However, two new treatments, developed by Japanese (Eisai) and US (Biogen) pharmaceutical companies, have recently been approved in the US: Leqembi (whose active ingredient is called lecanemab) and Aduhelm (which uses a molecule called aducanumab). .
While Aduhelm’s approval was controversial, with some experts pointing to a lack of evidence for its effectiveness, lecanemab was the first to demonstrate a reduction in cognitive decline (by 27%) in a clinical trial.
Eli Lilly’s treatment, if “approved in the same way as lecanemab”, could “give patients a choice between more treatments”, said Liz Coulthard of the University of Bristol.
Alzheimer’s disease affects tens of millions of people worldwide.
2023-05-03 16:20:17
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