New FDA approved Alzheimer’s drug being tested at UK

KENTUCKY-The FDA has approved a new drug to treat Alzheimer’s disease and the drug is being studied right here in Kentucky 

Lecanemab is a drug with antibodies created specifically to target amyloid beta plaques. This means the drug will actually target the disease itself instead of just treating the symptoms like prior medicines.

Results from the drug show 27% in slowing in memory and thinking decline, and 40% slowing of loss of functional abilities. This means a potential two and a half or more years for a person who has the disease.

The University of Kentucky is one of the locations for the study which is the first ever clinical trial of the drug.  

“Hopefully the day will come when Alzheimer’s will be no more. That’s gonna take time, that’s gonna take a lot of work, but hopefully this is fundamentally the start of that process,” said Dr. Gregory Jicha, Director of the University of Kentucky Telemedicine Cognitive Clinic. 

The last time the FDA approved a new type of Alzheimer’s medicine was in 2004- almost 20 years ago.