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☆ Apparently Healthy, but Diagnosed With Alzheimer’s?
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-04 | by ( Paula Span | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Determining whether someone has Alzheimer’s disease usually requires an extended diagnostic process. A doctor takes a patient’s medical history, discusses symptoms, administers verbal and visual cognitive tests. or a spinal tap — tests that detect the presence of two proteins in the brain, amyloid plaques and tau tangles, both associated with Alzheimer’s. All of that could change dramatically if new criteria proposed by an Alzheimer’s Association working group are widely adopted. Its final recommendations, expected later this year, will accelerate a shift that is already underway: from defining the disease by symptoms and behavior to defining it purely biologically — with biomarkers, substances in the body that indicate disease.

Organizations: Alzheimer’s Association

☆ How to fight dementia, according to neurologists
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +17 min

What about diabetes, cancer, thyroid disease, high blood pressure or heart disease? Some of the questions might seem unexpected to those who don’t write about brain health. However, my risk of developing vascular dementia, the second most common type after Alzheimer’s disease, is elevated. "Such spikes cause brain inflammation, disrupt brain metabolism and increase shrinkage of the thinking part of the brain," Isaacson said. The National Institute on Aging currently supports nearly 500 active clinical trials on Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.

Persons: Louise Dittner, Krysta, Ryan LaMotte, It’s, ”, Natalia Rost, “, Rost, ” Rost, Richard Isaacson, ” Isaacson, mockingbird …, birthed, it’s, I’ve, Isaacson, Sandee LaMotte Organizations: CNN, Comprehensive, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, American Academy of Neurology, Boca Raton, Weill Cornell Medicine, Presbyterian, Mayo Clinic, Volunteers, Alzheimer’s, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health Locations: Massachusetts, Boston, neonatologists, Florida, United, New York, New York City, Nature

☆ New blood test that screens for Alzheimer’s may be a step closer to reality, study suggests
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( Jacqueline Howard | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Alzheimer’s disease, a brain disorder that affects memory and thinking skills, is the most common type of dementia, according to the National Institutes of Health. “A blood test being negative speeds up the investigation for other causes of the symptoms and this is just as important,” Ashton said. Isaacson, who has researched blood biomarkers in people with no or minimal cognitive complaints, likened testing blood samples for signs of Alzheimer’s disease to how people undergo routine blood tests for high cholesterol. It is possible that currently available treatments for Alzheimer’s disease would work better in those diagnosed early in this way,” he said. The combination of a simple screening test with an effective treatment for Alzheimer’s disease would have a dramatic impact for individuals and for society.”

Persons: ” Nicholas Ashton, Ashton, ”, Kaj Blennow, Henrik Zetterberg, antiamyloid, immunoassay, ” Ashton, Richard Isaacson, ” Isaacson, Isaacson, ‘, “, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, David Curtis, ” Curtis Organizations: CNN, University of Gothenburg, National Institutes of Health, Quest Diagnostics, Alzheimer’s, Alzheimer’s Association, Get CNN, CNN Health, University College London, Science Media Locations: Sweden, United States, Wisconsin, Pau, Florida

☆ What to Know About Home Care Services
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( Reed Abelson | More About Reed Abelson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

And most middle-class people will have to pay for home care themselves if they will need it for the long haul. After a fall or surgery, some older people will need short-term care at home from a nurse or therapist to help them recover. Medicare, the federal insurance program for those 65 and over, typically pays for this kind of home health care. They need a home health aide or personal care assistant, who may not have much, if any, medical training. A wide range of services are available, whether it’s light housekeeping or hiring a private-duty nurse.

Persons: Monica Moreno Organizations: Medicare, Alzheimer’s Association

☆ Doubts abound about a new Alzheimer’s blood test
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Judith Graham | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

The Quest Diagnostics blood test, AD-Detect, measures elevated levels of amyloid-beta proteins, a signature characteristic of Alzheimer’s. But Alzheimer’s researchers and clinicians aren’t convinced the Quest test is backed by sound scientific research. Though blood tests for Alzheimer’s are likely to become common in the years ahead, the Alzheimer’s Association said it’s premature to offer a test of this kind directly to consumers. Because the science behind blood tests for Alzheimer’s is still developing and because “patients may not really understand the uncertainty of test results,” Edelmayer said, the Alzheimer’s Association “does not endorse the use of the AD-Detect test by consumers.”Quest’s blood test is one of several developments altering the landscape of Alzheimer’s care in the United States. The bottom line: Before taking a test, “older adults need to ask themselves, ‘Why do I want to know this?

Persons: aren’t, Alzheimer’s, Michael Racke, ”, there’s, Suzanne Schindler, St . Louis, That’s, ” Schindler, Racke, Meera Sheffrin, —, Rebecca Edelmayer, ” Edelmayer, Eric Widera, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, Emily Largent, ’ ”, Munro Cullum Organizations: Health, Diagnostics, Alzheimer’s Association, Quest, University of Michigan, International Conference, Washington University School of Medicine, Senior, Stanford Healthcare, The University of Michigan, FDA, National Institute, Aging, University of California, Get CNN, CNN Health, University, Pennsylvania’s Perelman, of Medicine, HIPAA, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Kaiser Health, KFF Locations: U.S, San Diego, St ., United States, San Francisco

☆ Purpose in life may decline after a dementia diagnosis. Experts share what to do
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Madeline Holcombe | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —A person’s sense of purpose declines leading up to and following a diagnosis of dementia or cognitive decline, according to a new study. “Purpose in life is the feeling that one’s life is goal-oriented and has direction. “Purpose may be an intervention target following cognitive impairment to maintain well-being and to reduce or slow emergence of behavioral symptoms associated with low purpose,” the study said. But it is critically important for everyone to maintain a sense of purpose later in life, Sutin said. “The opposite of purpose in life — apathy — is a significant problem in dementia.

Persons: ”, Angelina Sutin, Sutin, Sam Fazio, —, Fazio, ” Fazio, “, ’ ” Fazio Organizations: CNN, JAMA, Florida State University College of Medicine, National Health, Alzheimer’s Association Locations: Tallahassee

☆ Living with air pollution, especially from wildfires or agriculture, raises risk of dementia, US study finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Jen Christensen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The study authors said it’s the first nationally representative study of the potential effects of particle pollution on dementia in the US, and the link to dementia was most robust in areas with pollution from agriculture and wildfires. Pesticides are neurotoxins to animals, she said, so those may be the particles in agriculture pollution that are affecting human brains, as well. As for wildfires, the smoke doesn’t just come from burning trees; things like homes and gas stations burn too, becoming the particle pollution that people breathe in. The new study cannot determine the exact mechanism connecting particle pollution and dementia, but scientists have some theories. A study in England found that adults living with the highest annual concentration of air pollution had 1.4 times the dementia risk as those living with the lowest annual concentration.

Persons: it’s, ”, Sara Dubowsky Adar, Boya Zhang, Adar, Caleb Finch, William F, It’s, Masashi Kitazawa, Kitazawa, ” Kitazawa, Finch, Zhang, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, ” Zhang, “ Organizations: CNN, US Environmental Protection Agency, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Pesticides, ARCO, William, Kieschnick, University of Southern, World Health, Alzheimer’s Association, University of California, Alzheimer’s, CNN Health, World Health Organization Locations: United States, University of Southern California, Irvine, Canada, England, California

☆ Volunteering in late life may protect the brain, research finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Kristen Rogers | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

New research backs her up: Volunteering has been linked with better scores on tests of cognitive function, according to research presented Thursday at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Amsterdam. “We hope these new data encourage individuals of all ages and backgrounds to engage in local volunteering — not only to benefit their communities, but potentially their own cognitive and brain health.”Previous studies have found positive links between volunteering and cognitive function. These adults were around age 74 on average and had participated in the Kaiser Healthy Aging and Diverse Life Experiences Study or the Study of Healthy Aging in African Americans. Barberena thinks volunteering helps maintain her cognition by engaging her memory, verbal and reasoning skills, she said. Previous studies have found socializing and physical activity, both often involved in volunteering, to be beneficial for brain health.

Persons: Celia Barberena, Barberena, ”, “, Donna McCullough, —, it’s, Maria C, Carrillo, wasn’t, hadn’t, ” Carrillo, Yi Lor, Lor, ” Barberena, ” Lor Organizations: CNN, Alzheimer’s Association International, “ Volunteers, Alzheimer’s Association, Healthy Aging, Aging, University of California, Alliance Locations: Latina, Pacific Grove , California, Amsterdam, Davis, Monterey County, “, California’s Monterey

☆ Constipation linked with cognitive decline, research finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Kristen Rogers | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Chronic constipation has been linked with inflammation and mental disorders such as anxiety and depression, but there have been many unanswered questions about the relationship between digestive health and long-term cognitive function, according to a news release. Cognitive function refers to a person’s mental capacity for learning, thinking, reasoning, problem-solving, decision-making, remembering and paying attention. To find clues to these queries, the authors assessed more than 112,000 adults who had participated in the Nurses’ Health Study, Nurses’ Health Study II and Health Professionals Follow-Up Study. The authors of the latest research collected data on participants’ bowel movement frequency from 2012 to 2013, participants’ self-assessments of cognitive function between 2014 and 2017, and details on some participants’ objectively measured cognitive function between 2014 and 2018. But bowel movement frequency and subjective cognitive function were also linked with the participants’ gut microbiomes, the authors found.

Persons: ”, Chaoran Ma, pooped, Maria C, Carrillo, wasn’t, “, ” Ma, Butyrates, Ruminococcus, ” Carrillo Organizations: CNN, Alzheimer’s Association International, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Nurses, Health, Alzheimer’s Association, Cleveland Clinic, Food and Drug Administration Locations: Amsterdam, “, North America

☆ Treating Alzheimer’s Very Early Offers Better Hope of Slowing Decline, Study Finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Pam Belluck | More About Pam Belluck | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Treating Alzheimer’s patients as early as possible — when symptoms and brain pathology are mildest — provides a better chance of slowing cognitive decline, a large study of an experimental Alzheimer’s drug presented Monday suggests. The study of 1,736 patients reported that the drug, donanemab, made by Eli Lilly, can modestly slow the progression of memory and thinking problems in early stages of Alzheimer’s, and that the slowing was greatest for early-stage patients when they had less of a protein that creates tangles in the brain. For people at that earlier stage, donanemab appeared to slow decline in memory and thinking by about four and a half to seven and a half months over an 18-month period compared with those taking a placebo, according to the study, published in the journal JAMA. Among people with less of the protein, called tau, slowing was most pronounced in those younger than 75 and those who did not yet have Alzheimer’s but had a pre-Alzheimer’s condition called mild cognitive impairment, according to data presented Monday at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Amsterdam. “The earlier you can get in there, the more you can impact it before they’ve already declined and they’re on this fast slope,” Dr. Daniel Skovronsky, Eli Lilly’s chief medical and scientific officer, said in an interview.

Persons: Eli Lilly, donanemab, “, they’ve, Dr, Daniel Skovronsky, Eli Lilly’s Organizations: Alzheimer’s Association International Locations: Amsterdam

☆ Second Alzheimer’s drug to slow disease’s progression may be approved in the US this year
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Meg Tirrell | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

It was shown in May and in fuller Phase 3 clinical trial results released at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference on Monday to delay the disease’s progression. More than 6 million Americans are estimated to have Alzheimer’s disease, with about 1 million estimated to be in the early symptomatic stages where these drugs have shown benefit. Both Leqembi and donanemab work by clearing buildups of a protein in the brain called amyloid, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s. It’s been a hypothesis that treating Alzheimer’s earlier with amyloid-clearing drugs would yield better results; Skovronsky said the donanemab trial bore that out. “We could look at people who had mild cognitive impairment, MCI, which is the earliest stage, versus mild Alzheimer’s versus moderate Alzheimer’s,” Skovronsky explained.

Persons: Leqembi, Eli Lilly’s donanemab, Lilly, “ Donanemab, Jennifer Manly, Kacie, ”, Dr, Gil Rabinovici, Renaud La Joie, Daniel Skovronsky, “, Skovronsky, ” Skovronsky, It’s, Eric Widera, Sharon Brangman, University of Wisconsin’s Dr, Nathaniel Chin, Donanemab, Lilly hasn’t, Lawrence Honig, Honig, White, Sanjay Gupta, Deters, ” Lilly, it’s “, it’s, there’s, Joe Montminy Organizations: CNN, Alzheimer’s Association, Food and Drug Administration, American Medical Association, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, University of California, MCI, SUNY, University of Wisconsin’s, Leqembi, FDA, donanemab, CNN Health, ” Manly Locations: Los Angeles, “

Trial data showed that the treatment slows progression of the brain-wasting disease by 27% for patients in the earliest stages of Alzheimer's. The FDA placed its strongest "boxed" safety warning on Leqembi's label, flagging the risk of potentially dangerous brain swelling for Alzheimer's drugs in the same class. Leqembi is an antibody designed to remove sticky deposits of a protein called amyloid beta from the brains of Alzheimer's patients. Biogen and Eisai stock has risen since FDA granted accelerated approval to Alzheimer's drug Leqembi earlier this yearLeqembi's new label explains the need to monitor patients for potentially dangerous brain swelling and bleeding associated with amyloid-lowering antibodies. The first FDA-approved disease-modifying Alzheimer's drug, Aduhelm, was also developed by partners Eisai and Biogen, but Medicare coverage restrictions have severely limited its use.

Persons: Leqembi, drugmakers, Ivan Cheung, Chiquita Brooks, LaSure, Babak Tousi, Tousi, Biogen, Dr, Erik Musiek, Eli Lilly, Co's, Cheung, Joanne Pike, Eisai, Leqembi's, Deena Beasley, Julie Steenhuysen, Bill Berkrot, Matthew Lewis Organizations: U.S . Food, Drug Administration, FDA, Medicare, Medicaid Services, Cleveland Clinic, Washington University, Barnes, Jewish, Alzheimer’s Association, Alzheimer's Association, Thomson Locations: ANGELES, U.S, Los Angeles, Chicago

☆ Fluctuating cholesterol linked with Alzheimer’s, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Kristen Rogers | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

In addition to total cholesterol, the study tracked triglycerides, a type of fat that comes from butter and oils; low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, also known as LDL or “bad” cholesterol; and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, known as HDL or ‘good’ cholesterol. In the Neurology study, variations in LDL and HDL cholesterol weren’t associated with higher risk for Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias. Lipids and neurodegenerative diseaseThe authors found a link, but not a causal relationship, between fluctuating levels of cholesterol and triglycerides and risk of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Exactly how varying lipid levels and risk for Alzheimer’s or related dementias are related remains unclear, Bielinski said. “Always consult your doctor or healthcare provider if you are concerned about your cardiovascular health, cholesterol levels, or cognitive decline,” Weber said via email.

Persons: ”, Christopher Weber, Suzette J, Bielinski, hadn’t, ” Bielinski, ” Weber, “, Weber Organizations: CNN, Alzheimer’s Association, Mayo Clinic, Neurology Locations: Minnesota

☆ Medicare offers details on reimbursement for new Alzheimer's drugs
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Julie Steenhuysen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

CHICAGO, June 22 (Reuters) - The U.S. Medicare health plan on Thursday offered details of plans to collect patient data as a condition for reimbursement for Eisai Co Ltd (4523.T) and Biogen Inc's (BIIB.O) new Alzheimer's drug Leqembi, should it win traditional U.S. approval as expected by July 6. If it wins traditional FDA approval, Leqembi would be the first disease-modifying drug ever to achieve the regulatory milestone. Current treatments only treat symptoms but do not change the course of the disease, which affects 6 million Americans, according to the Alzheimer's Association. On that basis, CMS said it would only pay for Leqembi if patients were enrolled in a clinical trial. The CMS data requirements apply to all Alzheimer's treatments that reduce beta amyloid from the brain, including Eli Lilly and Co's donanemab, which recently reported positive results from its late-stage trial.

Persons: Biogen, Eisai's Leqembi, Leqembi, Eli Lilly, Co's, “, Robert Egge, Julie Steenhuysen, Daniel Wallis Organizations: U.S, Eisai Co, Centers, Medicare, Medicaid Services, CMS, Alzheimer's Association, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, FDA, Alzheimer’s Association, Thomson Locations: U.S

☆ Daytime naps may be good for our brains, study says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Jack Guy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Taking daytime naps may help maintain brain health as we age, according to a new study. The results show “a small but significant increase in brain volume in people who have a genetic signature associated with taking daytime naps,” she told the Science Media Centre. “Even with those limitations, this study is interesting because it adds to the data indicating that sleep is important for brain health,” she said. MoMo Productions/Digital Vision/Getty ImagesHowever, such a technique can only show an association between nap and brain health, not cause and effect. Grandner directs the Behavioral Sleep Medicine Clinic at the Banner-University Medical Center in Tucson, Arizona, and was not involved in the study.

Persons: ”, Victoria Garfield, Tara Spires, Jones, Valentina Paz, they’re, Paz, MoMo, Michael Grandner, Grandner, Raj Dasgupta, “ Organizations: CNN, University College London, UCL, University of, British Neuroscience Association, Centre, Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Science Media, Sleep Health, Alzheimer’s Association, Sleep Medicine, Banner - University Medical Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern Locations: Republic of Uruguay, Tucson , Arizona, University of Southern California

☆ Medicare will require data on patient use for approved Alzheimer's drugs
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Julie Steenhuysen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Leqembi received accelerated approval from the FDA in January, based on limited evidence suggesting it would slow cognitive decline in early Alzheimer's patients. A panel of FDA advisers will discuss whether Leqembi should receive traditional approval next week, and a decision could come by early July. Medicare, the government health plan for Americans 65 and over, currently pays for Leqembi only if patients are enrolled in a clinical trial. Such "coverage with evidence development" requirements are rare and historically used by Medicare to evaluate medical devices rather than drugs. To receive Medicare coverage, people will need to be diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment or early dementia caused by Alzheimer's and have a qualified physician participating in a registry.

Persons: Biogen, Leqembi, Eisai, Eli Lilly, Co's, Eli Lilly's, Alzheimer's, Sue Peschin, Manas Mishra, Leroy D'souza, Bill Berkrot Organizations: U.S, Eisai Co, FDA, Medicare, Centers, Medicaid Services, CMS, Alzheimer’s Association, Alliance for Aging Research, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

☆ Regular internet use may be linked to lower dementia risk in older adults, study says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Jen Christensen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

A study published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society suggested that older people who regularly used the internet were less likely to develop dementia. Scientists still don’t know what causes dementia, so the new research can’t pinpoint the exact connection between internet usage and brain health. A 2020 study found an association between cognitively stimulating jobs and a lower risk of dementia, for example. Research also suggests that most older adults most frequently use the internet for basic tasks like email, news or online banking. And learning new skills may be protective against dementia, studies suggest.

Lilly has not previously discussed its Medicare coverage optimism publicly. The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Such "coverage with evidence development" requirements are rare and historically used by Medicare to evaluate medical devices. Amyvid, Lilly's Alzheimer's imaging agent that can detect amyloid plaques on PET scans, has been subject to CMS' evidence development program for a decade. "It shuts out many patients," said Dr. Maria Carrillo, chief science officer of the Alzheimer’s Association, "especially minorities and rural patients."

The Alzheimer's Association and the pharmaceutical industry say the drug companies are not directly involved in the campaign. But the Alzheimer's Association says patients simply don't have the time to spare. The agency did not address the Alzheimer's Association campaign. Association members have met 30 times with staffers for the state's 20 members of Congress, Ryan Schiff, the chapter's public policy manager, said. Spokespeople for all three companies said they do not work with the Association on its campaign to expand Medicare coverage of the drugs.

The Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved an Alzheimer’s drug shown in clinical trials to slow cognitive decline in patients in the early stages of the illness. The FDA approved Leqembi for use in people with mild cognitive impairment or early Alzheimer’s disease. Most drugs approved by the FDA for Alzheimer’s are aimed at helping symptoms, not actually slowing the progression of the disease. Friday's announcement comes on the heels of a scathing congressional report released last week detailing the approval of a different Alzheimer’s drug, called Aduhelm. The Alzheimer's Association has said that based on the Eisai and Biogen phase 3 clinical trial results, the FDA should approve Leqembi for early-stage Alzheimer’s.

☆ A family shares Alzheimer's on social media
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Madeline Holcombe | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Now, in what doctors say are the final stages of her Alzheimer’s disease, Betty Pettit has found new ways to share the love on TikTok. Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive condition involving parts of the brain that control thought, memory, and language, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “It was just such a beautiful, pure moment,” Josh Pettit said. Despite its prevalence, Josh Pettit said that comments on his videos show that a lot of people may not have an accurate idea of what Alzheimer’s is like. It began with smaller things like moving things around and repeating herself, Josh Pettit said.

☆ New Alzheimer’s drug shows promise in slowing disease but may contain significant risks, study shows
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

An experimental Alzheimer’s drug modestly slowed the brain disease’s inevitable worsening, researchers reported Tuesday — but it remains unclear how much difference that might make in people’s lives. Now the companies are providing full results of the study of nearly 1,800 people in the earliest stages of the mind-robbing disease. Also, lecanemab recipients were 31% less likely to advance to the next stage of the disease during the study. The trial is important because it shows a drug that attacks a sticky protein called amyloid — considered one of several culprits behind Alzheimer’s — can delay disease progression, said Maria Carrillo, chief science officer for the Alzheimer’s Association. Eisai said Tuesday the deaths can’t be attributed to the Alzheimer’s drug.

☆ Experimental drug appears to slow progression of Alzheimer’s disease in clinical trial but raises safety concerns
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Jacqueline Howard | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

It involved 1,795 adults, ages 50 to 90, with mild cognitive impairment due to early Alzheimer’s disease or mild Alzheimer’s disease-related dementia. Such a score is consistent with early Alzheimer’s disease, with a higher number associated with more cognitive impairment. By 18 months, the CDR-SB score went up 1.21 points in the lecanemab group, compared with 1.66 in the placebo group. Overall, there were serious adverse events in 14% of the lecanemab group and 11.3% of the placebo group. The researchers also wrote that about 0.7% of participants in the lecanemab group and 0.8% of those in the placebo group died, corresponding to six deaths documented in the lecanemab group and seven in the placebo group.

☆ Experimental therapy gantenerumab fails to slow or improve Alzheimer’s memory loss in clinical trials
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( Brenda Goodman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Gantenerumab is part of a class of injected drugs that are designed to remove sticky protein pieces called beta amyloid from the brain. Beta amyloid buildup is a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease. Roche said Monday that gantenerumab appears to have removed less beta amyloid from the brains of study participants than anticipated. The results for gantenerumab follow positive results for a different beta amyloid reducing drug, lecanemab. An estimated 6.5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease in 2022, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.

☆ Alzheimer’s drug slows progression of cognitive decline in clinical trial, drugmakers say
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( Amanda Sealy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —A monoclonal antibody treatment for Alzheimer’s disease called lecanemab slows the progression of cognitive decline by 27% compared with a placebo, drugmakers Biogen and Eisai said Tuesday. Alzheimer’s is a very heterogeneous disease.”But he says that does not diminish the potential significance of the trial. “In the past, reducing amyloid in the brain has not always been tied to cognitive improvements or any meaningful clinical improvements. Biogen is also the company behind another Alzheimer’s drug, Aduhelm, which was controversially approved by the FDA in June 2021. Aduhelm was the first new Alzheimer’s drug approved in nearly 20 years, but there were questions about its efficacy and cost.

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