2023-07-18 19:52:00
At the beginning of July, the health authorities of the United States fully authorized the use of the drug Leqembi to treat Alzheimer’s, following be the first to demonstrate a clear reduction in cognitive decline. In this sense, one of the patients who underwent clinical trials assured that she “recovered her life” thanks to the medication.
Joan Murtaugh, 77, a resident of Ohio (United States), decided to join the drug trials lecanemab that were carried out at the Cleveland Clinic following she was diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment and a high risk of Alzheimer’s in 2017. After being part of the experiments for 18 months, between 2020 and 2021, the woman was happy with the results, assuring in dialogue with The Sun that it feels “perfectly normal” and that “I’m not having the problems I had”.
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Given the positive effects that the drug seems to have on his health, the septuagenarian continues to inject the drug once a week. In addition to this, it complements the treatment with cognitive speech therapy.
“I am fully functional and my memory is much better than it was. I am very active, drive regularly, garden and cook, and read several books. I got my life back, “Joan explained to the British media. In tune, her husband Larry, 77, was also satisfied with the effects of the drug, considering that”this medicine is almost a miraclefrom our perspective.”
“When Joan was diagnosed, my fears were that this would be a downward spiral. It used to be that when you mentioned Alzheimer’s you were looking into an abyss. Now this drug offers great hope for the future“Added the man. About his partner, he acknowledged “seeing improvements in Joan’s short-term memory.” “She is a fighter,” he said.
Lecanemab is an antibody drug manufactured by the companies Eisai and Biogen. The drug is part of a new generation of treatments that target a protein called amyloid beta, which forms plaques in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients. These antibodies tell the immune system that the amyloid is a danger, prompting immune cells in the brain called microglia. attack and destroy them, protecting the nerves.
The study in which Joan participated showed that the drug reduced brain damage by an average of 27% during 18-month clinical trials conducted on 1,700 patients from different countries. As a result of these results, it became the first drug to show a dramatic reduction in cognitive decline. For this reason, it was described as “historic and momentous” by the British research team Alzheimer’s Research UK.
According to Joan, “she had no doubts” regarding joining the clinical trials when she found out regarding the drug’s existence. “She knew that Cleveland Clinic is a first class place and when they thought they had a medication that might help, and I desperately needed help, I went for it. I had no doubts,” she explained.
Babak Tousi, a physician who led part of the trial at Cleveland Clinic, told The Sun that “we have a large group of patients who they come to us and ask us for help“In particular, Joan was a citizen scientist, she asked if she might be part of a trial,” she added.
“Of course, people who participate in clinical trials may have access to drugs that are not yet available. But interestingly, a bigger factor is that they say that it may not help them, but it will help other people. They want to return the favor,” Tousi said.
Leqembi will be “broadly” covered in the United States
In early July, US health authorities fully licensed the Alzheimer’s drug, allowing treatment is more accessible through the federal health coverage system. In this sense, Leqembi was approved for patients who have not yet reached an advanced stage of the disease.
In January it had already been approved by the US Drug Agency (FDA) through an accelerated procedure. According to a statement released by the organization, the analysis of additional studies allowed is now authorized in its entirety.
Administered intravenously every two weeks, the treatment was developed by the Japanese pharmaceutical company Eisai with the American Biogen. Its price was set at $26,500 per year and per patient.
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The federal health coverage system Medicare, intended for people over 65, until now only covered it if it was taken in clinical trials, which greatly limited its access. With the full clearance of the FDA, it will now be “broadly” coveredsaid Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, director of the agency that administers Medicare, in a statement.
“This is great news for the millions of people across the country living with this debilitating disease and their families,” Brooks-LaSure added. However, according to the text, patients will still have to pay part of the cost out of pocket (20%).
While this is not a cure for patients, can help slow down the progression of the disease a bit. “This treatment, while not a cure, can help give people more time … to maintain their independence and do the things they love,” said Joanne Pike, president of the Alzheimer’s Association. People with the disease “deserve the opportunity to discuss and decide, with their doctor and family, whether this treatment is right for them,” she added. However, it is likely to cause serious side effects, such as cerebral edema or hemorrhage, which can be fatal.
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