New Alzheimer's drug a "breath of life" for one local family
SACRAMENTO — The number of Alzheimer's disease cases is dramatically rising in California. Now, a new drug has been approved that can help make the disease more manageable.
Carlos Olivas knows how big of an impact Alzheimer's disease can have on a family. His father was diagnosed with the disease in 2017.
"It's very tough," said Olivas, an Alzheimer's Association volunteer. "It's hard."
Dementia-related diseases have increased in California by more than 200% in just a decade. Statewide, it's the third leading cause of death. But now, a new drug is showing promise in reducing the effects of the disease.
On Friday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted accelerated approval of Lecanemab, which is a drug that in clinical trials has been shown to help Alzheimer's patients.
"In terms of cognitive decline, it showed a slowing down of about 25%, and in terms of functional decline, 37%, which translates perhaps into getting a benefit of three to five months longer of better cognition and function, which we've never had before," said Dr. Sarah Kremen of the Jona Goldrich Center for Alzheimer's and Memory Disorders at Cedars-Sinai.
It's now giving hope to families who have a loved one with the disease.
"It's a breath of life in many ways," Olivas said.
So, who are the best candidates for this new treatment?
"You have to have mild cognitive impairment or mild-stage dementia," said Dr. Jason Karlawish with the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.
Researchers warn that this is not a cure.
"All the patients continued to get worse, but they got worse at a slower rate," said Dr. Erik Musiek with the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
And treatment is not cheap. The drug's manufacturer said it will cost patients more than $26,000 a year to receive the treatment, which is an intravenous infusion.
Olivas hopes this breakthrough paves the way for more awareness and research.
"It's a wedge into the door of finding a possible cure for this disease," he said.
The FDA's accelerated approval allows the drug to be prescribed while additional studies are conducted. If it's shown to provide continued benefits, it could get full approval in the future.
