Will we bid farewell to “Alzheimer’s” soon? The first drug to prove its effectiveness

In the hope that delaying the disease will be a beginning that indicates salvation from it, the US Food and Drug Administration, “FDA”, Thursday, granted its full approval for the use of the drug “Leqembi” for Alzheimer’s patients.

And the agency stated that the drug is the first drug that has proven effective in slowing the progression of the disease that robs memory, according to what was reported by the American “CNN” network.

Safe and effective treatment

The approval is also expected to contribute to a change in the coverage of health insurance provided by the government through the “Medicare” and “Medicaid” services, which could contribute to the inclusion of millions of people living in the initial stages of this disease.

The FDA said in a statement that its decision is the first confirmation that a drug targeting the progression of Alzheimer’s disease has shown therapeutic benefits for this devastating disease.

She added that the proven study confirmed that it is a safe and effective treatment for Alzheimer’s patients.

This came after Liquimbe showed its effectiveness in an 18-month clinical trial by slowing cognitive and functional decline by 27%.

In turn, Dr. Lawrence Honig, Professor of Neuroscience at Columbia University, suggested that the class of drug beneficiaries amounts to about one-sixth of the six million Americans with the disease.

“We are at the beginning of a new era,” the professor said, in an interview with the American Network, stressing that the drug cannot cure patients, but rather helps slow the development of their disease, indicating that he hopes that we will be able to obtain more effective drugs.

Quick approval

The drug “Liquimbe”, which is produced by the companies “Eisai” and “Biogen”, won rapid approval last January, based on evidence that proved its success in clearing the buildup of amyloid protein deposits in the brain responsible for Alzheimer’s disease.

The FDA approved the drug for people who are in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, those with mild cognitive difficulties and those with amyloid deposits in their brains.

In addition, the network noted that the drug is not devoid of side effects, as about 13% of those subject to clinical trials suffered from bleeding or enlargement in the brain, and these symptoms may pose a greater risk to some groups according to their genes or if they are taking blood thinners.