On September 27, pharmaceutical companies Eisai and Biogen released a statement describing results from an experimental drug, lecanemab, that showed a potential reduction of clinical decline in a study of people with early Alzheimer’s disease.
In the Clarity AD phase 3 clinical trial study, the drug slowed cognitive decline by 27 percent over 18 months. The study included 1,795 people with Alzheimer’s disease, including approximately 25 percent Latino and African American participants. About a fifth of participants experienced amyloid-related imaging abnormality (ARIA) side effects such as brain swelling or small areas of bleeding. Less than 4 percent of these participants had symptoms related to these effects, meaning the ARIA was detected on an MRI scan, but the individual did not experience symptoms from it.
The drug has not been approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and has not met the criteria required to be submitted for approval to the FDA. More details about the study and lecanemab will be presented at the Clinical Trials in Alzheimer’s Disease (CTAD) meeting November 29, 2022.
Read our full statement about the study findings here: Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute and Wisconsin ADRC Sept. 30 news release