Statewide Iowa — An experimental drug being tested on people with Alzheimer’s disease is showing promise and is very encouraging, according to Tim Harrington, a spokesman for the Iowa chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association.
The drug is called Lecanemab and medical reports out this week say it can slow the rate of cognitive decline by 27-percent, which Harrington calls significant.
The clinical trial of Lecanemab is in its third phase, so the next step is getting the FDA to approve the drug as a viable treatment.
While it’s promising that this drug appears to be able to slow down the progression of Alzheimer’s, he reinforces that it’s not a cure, but it is an important step on the long road. Harrington says it could be some time before this drug is available in Iowa.
More than six-million people nationwide are living with Alzheimer’s disease, including 66,000 in Iowa. Learn more at: alz.org
