Second Alzheimer’s Drug is Expected to be approved by FDA

July 17, 2023
Jennifer J. Manly, PhD and Lawrence S. Honig, MD, PhD

Pictured: Jennifer J. Manly, PhD and Lawrence S. Honig, MD, PhD

Second Alzheimer’s drug to slow disease’s progression may be approved in the US this year

“Donanemab was very effective at eliminating its target, cerebral amyloid, but the clinical effect was comparatively weak,” Jennifer Manly, of Columbia University Irving Medical Center, and Kacie Deters, of the University of California, Los Angeles, wrote in one editorial.

Dr. Lawrence Honig, a professor of neurology at Columbia University Irving Medical Center who had not yet seen the full donanemab results, argued that it’s scientifically and medically “unrealistic to think that the Alzheimer process will be stopped by six to 18 months of antibody treatment.” “Alzheimer’s is a chronic disease involving slow, gradual accumulation of amyloid beta forms in the brain,” he wrote to CNN in an email. “It is not likely that removing plaques over some months will prevent the disease process from progressing.” [read more]

Source: CNN Online
This story was also covered by: HealthDay

Eli Lilly Expects FDA Approval of its Alzheimer’s Drug This Year

“Given the wide availability of these drugs following US Food and Drug Administration approval and the disproportionate burden of cognitive impairment and dementia due to Alzheimer disease in many of these groups, it is critical that clinicians, patients, and families understand the limits of what is known,” Jennifer Manly, of Columbia University Irving Medical Center, and Kacie Deters, of the University of California, Los Angeles, wrote in the editorial. [read more]

Source: The Hill

Second Alzheimer’s Drug in Pipeline Can Slow the Disease by a Few Months but With Safety Risk

Another concern: More than 90% of the study’s participants were white, leaving little data about how other populations might respond, Alzheimer’s specialist Jennifer Manly of Columbia University wrote in JAMA. [read more]

Source: Associated Press

Editor's Note: This article was picked up by U.S. News & World Report, Chicago Tribune, The Baltimore Sun, Los Angeles Times, and other outlets.