New Alzheimer's drugs, blood test: What's the latest
With World Alzheimer's Day coming up, there's finally some good news in the fight against this tough disease.
Two new drugs—donanemab (Eli Lilly) and lecanemab (Biogen/Eisai)—are helping slow down early-stage Alzheimer's significantly.
But they're expensive, and side effects like brain bleeds mean doctors are being careful.
Lecanemab (sold as Leqembi) is approved in the US, but not reimbursed in France or the UK yet, while donanemab is one of the new drugs proven to slow progression.
Blood test to spot early Alzheimer's changes
A new blood test that spots Alzheimer's markers has been available in the US since May and could make diagnosis easier than more invasive spinal taps. It isn't approved in Europe yet.
While the US Alzheimer's Association now says these biomarkers alone can confirm a diagnosis, European experts—like Dutch neurologist Edo Richard—remind us that just having abnormal markers doesn't always mean you'll get dementia.
Ongoing research is looking at whether catching Alzheimer's earlier with these tools will actually help people do better long-term.