Alzheimer's drug shows promise in early results of study

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By TOM MURPHY

Shares of Biogen and other drugmakers researching Alzheimer’s disease soared early Wednesday after Japan’s Eisai Co. said its potential treatment appeared to slow the fatal disease’s progress in a late-stage study.

Eisai announced results late Tuesday from a global study of nearly 1,800 people with early-stage Alzheimer’s.

The drugmaker said early results showed that its treatment, lecanemab, reduced patient clinical decline by 27% when compared to a placebo or fake drug after 18 months of the infused treatment. Patients were monitored using a scale that measures how they do in areas like memory, judgement, problem solving and personal care.

Eisai Co. Ltd. said it would discuss full results from the research at a conference in late November. It also plans to publish its findings in a peer-reviewed medical journal.



FILE — The Biogen Inc., headquarters is shown March 11, 2020, in Cambridge, Mass. Shares of Biogen and other drugmakers researching Alzheimer’s disease soared early Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022, after Japan’s Eisai Co. said its potential treatment appeared to slow the fatal disease’s progress in a late-stage study. Eisai announced results late Tuesday from a global study of nearly 1,800 people with early-stage Alzheimer’s (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File)


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[Bayard]

1. That's great!

But why is their stock going up, more important than the discovery itself?

[Iwasthere]

2. The last promising drug that came out a year ago targeting amyloid was a bust

It actually caused damage. Turns out amyloid are there for a reason. F×cking with them is a bad idea.They are actually needed for good memory.

[speak easy]

3. Yes this is huge. It is the first time any drug has slowed the progression of Alzheimer's.

Now that a mechanism has been identified, it will be the first of many.

[not fooled]

5. Well, this one also targets amyloid

albeit "floating clumps" before they become plaques.

A third drug on the way from a different company also targets amyloid.

[OldBaldy1701E]

4. Expect the rethugs to start a campaign to 'bury' it.

They'd lose a third of their donors if such a treatment provided a cure!

[Hestia]

6. Prevegen (sp?) was originally prescribed as an alheimzer's to help slow decline

It's that stuff that MSM is pushing for boomers & gen x'ers to help with mental acuity. It does work but you have to take it before any mental decline is seen.

Now, go talk to families about delaying the inevitable - they hate meds that "slow decline" because it means that they will have to caregive longer because it does nothing to reverse and cure, just exhausts them to the breaking point. The only people who benefit from this is the pill pushers.

ETA - I used to work in a gerontology clinic and talked to the children (50s - 70s) who were caregivers of their parents and they would come in ranting about these meds. Listening to them talk about really happens with caregivers was eye opening.