CHARLESTON — More than 6.5 million people in the U.S. suffer from Alzheimer’s disease. The irreversible disease destroys memory, thinking skills, and eventually the ability to carry out simple tasks.
Neurologists at CAMC will soon have a new tool to help treat Alzheimer’s.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Jan. 6, granted accelerated approval for the Alzheimer’s drug lecanemab.
The FDA’s approval comes after clinical trial results published in November indicated that lecanemab slows cognitive decline somewhat in people with mild impairment due to Alzheimer’s disease. It will be sold under the name Leqembi.
Lecanemab is a monoclonal antibody that targets a protein called amyloid which builds up on the brain in people with Alzheimer’s. The antibody is administered intravenously every two weeks in doses determined by a patient’s body weight with 10 milligrams given per kilogram.
The Alzheimer’s Support Group meets the second Tuesday of every month 6 to 7:30 p.m. at CAMC General Hospital (501 Morris St. Charleston), Conference Room 101/102 (adjacent to the main lobby). It is led by Dr. Adel Aziz, CAMC Neurologist, and is free and open to the public.
