Sioux City, Iowa — The FDA is granting what’s called accelerated approval for a new drug that shows promise in clinical trials to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.
Lauren Livingston, spokeswoman for the Iowa Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, calls the announcement “exciting” and says the drug Lecanemab isn’t a cure, but it’s certainly a step in the right direction.
There are several downsides, however. In some patients, the drug caused serious side effects. Plus, it will be difficult to obtain, and then there’s the cost.
Under current regulations, the drug wouldn’t be covered unless the patient is taking part in a clinical trial, and there are no such trials underway in Iowa.
Patients in the trial had moderate cognitive impairment or early-stage Alzheimer’s so it’s still unclear what impact it might have on those with more advanced stages of the disease. More than 66-thousand Iowans are living with Alzheimer’s.
For more information visit the Alzheimer’s Association website at www.alz.org.
