Alzheimer’s, a type of dementia impacting language, memory, and the brain’s control. According to Statistics Canada, over 500,000 people in Canada have dementia and over 76,000 are diagnosed with it each year. The World Health Organization (WHO), confirmed that 50 million people in the world live with dementia with 60-70% of it being Alzheimer’s. There are at least 10 million cases a year and 82 million cases are expected in the year 2030. A new drug, aducanumab, (made by Biogen) has been approved by the FDA in the US to help people living with Alzheimer’s disease; however, some people believe it is too soon. Here is some more information and perspectives on the drug:
What is this drug?
Aducanumab is a monoclonal antibody designed in the lab indicated to treat Alzheimer’s disease. It is meant to target the plaques formed in the brain of people with Alzheimer’s. The plaques are what damage the brain cells causing tangles that would kill the cells in the brain. The objective with this drug is that brain cells will stop dying and cognitive related issues will decrease. Marketed as Aduhelm, it has been approved under the accelerated pathway, a program to help give earlier approval to drugs.
How is the drug administered?
The drug is administered through infusions every four weeks for the rest of a person’s life.
What are the side effects?
According to Harvard Health, 30% of people that have taken the drug had reversible swelling and more than 10% of people had small brain bleeds. Taking a drug like this requires close monitoring in the event that it has to stop. Some experts believe that taking this drug needs to go through thorough consideration as it is not guaranteed this drug works.
The Controversy behind Aducanumab:
Many neurologists and dementia experts have become more skeptical about the drug. The findings of the studies also showed that there was no evidence that the symptoms decreased and the benefit of taking the drug was small. The FDA also asked Biogen to start another trial where if it failed, the FDA would revoke the approval. Studies also found that the reduction of plaques in the brain was not clear. Many doctors are also criticizing how the FDA approved the drug and do not feel comfortable prescribing the drug. To the patients, the ones that are willing to risk it are considering going to other doctors if they do not have access to the drug. In Canada, the drug has not been approved right now by Health Canada and it is expected that they will not follow the FDA’s approval as the process is stricter.
With a new drug, there is hope that we are getting closer to finding a cure for this disease. While it is not certain that this drug works, research will continue to help improve the drug in clinics helping many people around the world.
