BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — According to a report released by the New England Journal of Medicine, a new Alzheimer's treatment is showing promising early results.
Produced by drug-maker Eli Lilly, Donanemab is an antibody treatment that targets a modified form of amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide, a plaque that builds up in the brains of those with Alzheimer's.
Early stage clinical trial results show that at 52 weeks, the amyloid plaque levels of patients who received the experimental intravenous drug reached negative status, meaning that their levels were the same as healthy people.
The drug also appeared to slow cognitive decline by about 32 percent. Researchers measured cognitive and functional ability by observing memory and the ability to perform daily tasks.
In terms of how the trial was designed -- 275 patients participated, and roughly half of them received the drug for 76 weeks -- while the rest received a placebo.
Despite the promising results, researchers say larger and longer studies on the new drug still need to be conducted.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has yet to approve a new Alzheimer's drug since 2004. They are currently reviewing a separate experimental drug from Cambridge-based Biogen and it's Japanese partner Eisai.
Alzherimer's disease is one of the top leading causes of death for older individuals in the U.S.
WBZ NewsRadio's Shari Small (@ShariSmallNews) reports:
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Written by Rachel Armany
(Photo: Getty Images)