Lecanemab's Real-world Use Reveals Infrequent Side Effects in Alzheimer's Patients
While there's currently no cure for Alzheimer's, a type of dementia, there have been advancements in medications to help manage symptoms and slow the disease's progression. One such medication is lecanemab, marketed as Leqembi, approved by the U.S. FDA in 2023.
Like all drugs, lecanemab can have side effects, including headaches, dizziness, muscle aches, and blurred vision. However, the worrisome side effect of amyloid-related imaging abnormalities (ARIA) such as brain swelling or bleeding, while potentially serious, is rare.
In a large clinical trial, participants treated with lecanemab for 18 months experienced about 25-30% less decline in memory and thinking compared to those not on the medication. Imaging studies also showed the drug reduced and sometimes cleared amyloid plaques in the brain.
A new study published recently has reaffirmed these findings, reporting that significant adverse events like ARIA were uncommon in real-world use of lecanemab for people at the earliest stages of Alzheimer's disease. In this study, researchers recruited 234 people with early Alzheimer's symptoms and found that only 1.8% with early-stage Alzheimer's experienced ARIA symptoms, compared to 27% of those with mild Alzheimer's disease.
Researchers discovered that the effects of ARIA mostly disappeared within a few months, and no patients died, which is similar to what was observed in the clinical trial, reassuring us that such drugs can be used safely in a real-world setting.
More research is needed to identify patients at increased risk for ARIA, as this information would help patients make more informed decisions regarding their treatment options. This may help patients decide if lecanemab is preferable to alternative treatments like donanemab.
While the potential benefits are promising, the decision to prescribe lecanemab requires careful consideration of the patient's disease stage, overall health, and other risk factors. Identifying patients who are most likely to benefit from lecanemab and least likely to experience serious side effects is essential in making the best treatment decisions. As always, it's important to weigh the benefits against the potential for serious side effects for each individual patient.
- The novel medication, lecanemab, marketed as Leqembi, is a significant advancement for seniors dealing with Alzheimer's disease, a type of dementia, as it helps manage symptoms and slow disease progression, despite there being no cure.
- Science has revealed that lecanemab reduces and sometimes clears amyloid plaques in the brain, which contributes to the disease, over a 18-month period, causing about 25-30% less decline in memory and thinking compared to those not on the medication.
- In a recent real-world study, it was found that ARIA, a worrisome side effect of amyloid-related imaging abnormalities such as brain swelling or bleeding, was uncommon in people with early Alzheimer's disease, with only 1.8% experiencing ARIA symptoms, compared to 27% of those with mild Alzheimer's disease.
- Researchers discovered that the ARIA symptoms mostly disappeared within a few months, and no patients died, which sheds light on the safe use of these drugs in a real-world setting and encourages further exploration of alternative treatments like donanemab.
- The decision to prescribe lecanemab should be made with careful consideration, taking into account the patient's disease stage, overall health, and other risk factors, emphasizing the importance of identifying patients who are most likely to benefit and least likely to experience serious side effects.
