Think twice before buying a new ‘miracle’ dementia drug, warn experts after reports emerged that two people in the US have died from suspected side effects in the past year.
Patients have been warned against going private for a new “miracle” Alzheimer’s drug after reports emerged that two people in the US died from suspected side effects last year. .
This drug, lecanemab, has been shown to slow the progression of brain disease for up to six months.
Last week, the infusion drug was rejected by NHS spending watchdogs, as the benefits were ‘too small to justify the costs’.
The National Institute for Health and Social Care (NICE) also added that there were concerns that patients would need to be monitored for ‘serious side effects’.
Last week, the infusion drug was rejected by NHS spending watchdogs, as the benefits were ‘too small to justify the costs’ (stock image)
Experts say about 3,000 patients have started taking the drug since it was approved by US health officials in July 2023 (stock photo)
About one in ten trial participants developed brain swelling and one in six suffered small brain bleeds, which in rare cases led to symptoms dangerous to life. Three patients died in the 1,800-participant trial of suspected side effects.
However, lecanemab, which costs an estimated £20,000 a year, will now be available privately in the UK. Experts predict that thousands of desperate patients will turn to private providers for lecanemab, but warn that they could be putting their lives at risk.
Earlier this month, it was reported at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Philadelphia that two patients died of suspected side effects after taking lecanemab in the United States.
Experts say that about 3,000 patients have started taking the drug since it was approved by US health officials in July 2023.
One death was confirmed by Dr. Lawrence Honig, a neurologist at Columbia University in New York. The second death was reported by science news website Alzforum. No patient has been identified but, according to Dr Honig, one has a gene – called APOE4 – which research shows puts patients at greater risk of brain haemorrhage. About 15 percent of Alzheimer’s patients have this gene.
Lecanemab, which costs £20,000 a year, will now be available privately in the UK (stock image)
Lecanemab and donanemab work by attacking a toxic protein in the brain called amyloid that is associated with dementia symptoms.
‘Anyone who has the money to get this drug privately should carefully weigh the benefits and risks and decide whether it’s worth taking lecanemab,’ says Robert Howard, a professor of geriatric psychiatry at the Institute. of Mental Health at University College London.
People think it will buy them more time, but the data shows little benefit. Meanwhile, the risks are real.’
There are one million people with Alzheimer’s disease in the UK, and there are currently no NHS drugs to slow the disease. Lecanemab – and a similar drug called donanemab – are the first treatments shown in trials to combat the loss of brain function caused by Alzheimer’s disease.
The drugs are given every two weeks as an infusion. Lecanemab and donanemab work by attacking a toxic protein in the brain called amyloid that is associated with dementia symptoms.
Last year, when the results of both drug trials were published, experts said the findings marked the ‘beginning of the end’ for Alzheimer’s disease. However, since then, the treatment has been controversial. The MoS was the first to report the death of lecanemab trial participant Genevieve Lane, 79, from Florida, who suffered a seizure in 2022, just a week after her third dose. An autopsy concluded that lecanemab may have caused the burst blood vessels in Genevieve’s brain that led to her death. Two other deaths in the trial were linked to side effects. Earlier this year, the newspaper also revealed that high NHS figures raised concerns that providing the treatment could cost the taxpayer £1 billion a year as well as putting the lives of Alzheimer’s patients at risk.
Lecanemab, sold under the brand name Leqembi, is a single antibody drug used to treat Alzheimer’s disease.
There are one million Alzheimer’s patients in the UK and there are currently no NHS drugs to slow the disease.
According to the NHS report, the drugs were only effective when given in the early stages of the disease. It also suggested that monitoring patients for potential side effects may take more resources.
Last week, when NICE ruled against the introduction of lecanemab on the NHS, it addressed these concerns. Dr Samantha Roberts, head of NICE, said: ‘It is a powerful treatment to provide patients with associated visits to hospital every two weeks with the skilled staff needed to monitor them for symptoms of serious side effects, as well as the cost of purchasing the drug.’
A spokesman for Eisai, the company that makes lecanemab, said: “The second death described in the media was accepted as a rumor by the news agency that reported it first.
‘Eisai is not in a position to answer rumours. Eisai continues to meet our commitment to adverse event monitoring and reporting in line with global regulatory requirements.’
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