FDA expedites approval for Alzheimer’s drug intended to slow disease progression

A revolutionary drug is now available to help people who have Alzheimer’s.

Leqembi, the second drug the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved using an accelerated process, was developed to slow down the effects Alzheimer’s has on a person’s memory and other functions.

Neuroscientists say Leqembi is the latest option with the ability to target the underlying process of the disease instead of only treating symptoms.

But the key is, a person’s case of Alzheimer’s must be caught early on.

“It’s for people in the early stages of the disease, so mild dementia or mild cognitive impairment,” said Susan Parriott, CEO of the Alzheimer’s Association of Minnesota-North Dakota.

The irreversible and progressive brain disorder affects more than 6.5 million Americans, slowly destroying their life skills and the memories they’ve made. Despite the ongoing fight to end Alzheimer’s, doctors still don’t know what causes it.

The FDA found a serious unmet medical need in the community of people with Alzheimer’s and their loved ones – a need so great, it prompted a faster approval process for the new treatment.

“What it is going to give them is more quality time in those early stages when they can still make decisions, still build memories, more time to live their life,” Parriott said.

While this is a step forward, it is still not a cure. However, what researchers learn from these trials will only help improve future drugs intended to treat Alzheimer’s.

Find the website for Leqembi here.

Learn more about the fight to end Alzheimer’s at the sites for the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, the Alzheimer’s Association, Alzheimers.gov, the Walk to End Alzheimer’s and EndAlz.