New Alzheimer’s drug lecanemab

In news– The Food and Drug Administration of the USA has approved a new Alzheimer’s drug recently.

About the drug-

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 drug modestly slows the pace of cognitive decline early in the disease but also carries risks of swelling and bleeding in the brain.
The approval of the drug, lecanemab, to be marketed as Leqembi, is likely to generate considerable interest from patients and physicians.
The FDA approved lecanemab based on the reduction of amyloid plaque observed in clinical trial participants who received the treatment.
Studies of the drug — an intravenous infusion administered every two weeks — suggest it is more promising than the scant number of other treatments available.
Eisai, a Japanese pharmaceutical company, led the development and testing of the drug.
It is partnering with the US company Biogen, maker of the controversial Alzheimer’s drug Aduhelm, for its commercialisation and marketing.
Though lecanemab may slow cognitive decline somewhat, the treatment also carries risks.
Nearly 13% of those who received lecanemab developed brain swelling compared with about 2% in the group that didn’t receive the treatment.
However, most of these cases were mild to moderate in severity, did not cause symptoms, and typically resolved within four months.