Alzheimer's-slowing drug labelled historic
The drug, lecanemab, is designed to remove clumps of toxic beta-amyloid proteins that build up in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease.
In this trial, 1,795 volunteers in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease were injected with lecanemab every two weeks and regularly had their memory and mental agility tested.
The pace of cognitive decline had been reduced by 27% over the course of the 18-month trial, compared with people given a dummy, or placebo, treatment, the pharmaceutical companies said.
Biogen chief executive Michel Vounatsos said: "Today's announcement gives patients and their families hope that lecanemab, if approved, can potentially slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease and provide a clinically meaningful impact on cognition and function."
Alzheimer's Research UK research director Dr Susan Kohlhaas said it was a "breakthrough" and a "historic moment for dementia research" as it was the first large clinical trial "in a generation to successfully slow cognitive decline".
