a treatment slows the progression of the disease, according to the results of a clinical trial

The authorization of a new drug against Alzheimer’s could take place this year in the United States. On Monday July 17, the full results of a large-scale clinical trial of donanemab were published and confirmed the ability of the treatment, developed by the pharmaceutical group Eli Lilly, to slow the progression of the disease in patients, especially when taken very early.

Donanemab, like lecanemab approved in May by the US Medicines Agency, is given intravenously and attacks plaques in the brains of affected patients, called amyloid plaques.

Potential dangerous side effects

However, some experts remain cautious about this new treatment, the benefits of which remain “modest” and which has potential dangerous side effects, such as edema or cerebral hemorrhage. Three deaths of clinical trial participants are likely treatment-related, according to trial results published in the scientific journal Jama.

“The modest benefits would likely not be questioned by patients, clinicians or taxpayers” if these treatments were “low risk, low cost and simple to administer”said several experts. “But none of the three are proven.” Collecting more data, including beyond 18 months, will be crucial to better understand the balance between the benefits and the risks of these drugs, they stressed. They also criticized the low proportion of people of color included in the trial, despite being more affected by the disease.