University of Washington offering ‘breakthrough’ Alzheimer’s drug

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Doctors at the University of Washington treated their first patient with lecanemab — a new early Alzheimer’s drug shown to slow the brain’s cognitive decline — researchers announced.

On Dec. 1, Doug Davis of Mount Vernon, Washington, was the first patient to receive the intravenous treatment at UW’s Harborview Medical Center.

“I’m pleased that Harborview Medical Center is one of the first West Coast hospitals to administer the IV infusion treatment to our qualifying patients,” said Dr. Thomas Grabowski, a professor of radiology and neurology at the University of Washington School of Medicine.

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Lecanemab, which is sold under the brand name Leqembi, was approved in 2023 by the United States Food and Drug Administration and is the first FDA-approved medication shown to modify the course of the disease, UW said.

Clinical trial results published in the New England Journal of Medicine in January found lecanemab reduced the amount of amyloid in the brains of patients with early Alzheimer’s and slowed their cognitive and functional decline.

“Though the outcome was relatively modest — a 27% slowing of cognitive decline and functional decline over 18 months — this is still a step in the right direction,” said Dr. Michael Rosenbloom, associate professor of neurology at the UW School of Medicine and director of clinical trials at the Memory and Brain Wellness Center.

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“When I became a behavioral neurologist over 13 years ago, the idea of having a disease-modifying drug sounded like science fiction,” Rosenbloom said.

Lecanemab is an antibody that binds to amyloid-beta proteins, which accumulate in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s, UW explained. The proteins form amyloid plaques, which are believed to contribute to deterioration of the brain. Amyloid can be found through PET scans or spinal fluid testing.

Lecanemab stimulates the patient’s immune system to remove the amyloid and is approved for patients with amyloid plaques and mild cognitive impairment or patients with mild Alzheimer’s dementia.

UW points out that the drug has not been shown to benefit people who have amyloid and no symptoms, people with moderate to severe Alzheimer’s, or people with vascular or other dementias.

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Researchers note that studies have only reported results for patients who have undergone 18 months of lecanemab treatments, and they do not know how long the benefits of the drug may last.

Lecanemab is administered by IV every two weeks for up to 18 months. Patients are monitored with MRI scans to ensure they are not experiencing possible side effects known as amyloid-related imaging abnormalities, UW explained.

During the clinical trial, about 13% of patients developed these abnormalities, however, most did not have symptoms and were able to complete treatment. Researchers said the long-term effects of the abnormalities are unknown.

Researchers emphasize that the benefits of lecanemab are “modest and might even be hard to notice.” Visits for the IV infusion are also not covered by all insurance plans.

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