Reacción a "EMA revises earlier decision and decides to approve lecanemab for Alzheimer's disease"

Today’s decision by the EMA’s advisory committee to reverse its previous stance and approve lecanemab marks an important milestone in the global fight against Alzheimer’s disease. While not a cure, lecanemab is a significant step forward. Lecanemab is among the first treatments proven to slow memory and thinking decline linked to Alzheimer’s, rather than just alleviating symptoms. This progress, however modest, marks a breakthrough in the way Alzheimer’s can be treated. 

This decision is aligned with regulators in other G7 countries. The EMA in keeping with the UK, have decided to exclude certain people from receiving lecanemab, including those who carry two copies of a gene called APOE4, as this puts them at higher risk of side effects. Around 15% of people with Alzheimer’s disease carry two copies of this gene. While the drug is not available through the NHS, people across the US and Japan are already receiving lecanemab, with monitoring systems in place to track progress which is improving our understanding of how these drugs work outside of clinical trials. This information will play a key role in guiding future clinical decisions, such as which patients benefit most from the treatments, how long it should be given for, and at what stages of the disease. 

While these new Alzheimer's treatments are far from a perfect solution, they open the door to future treatments that will be safer and more effective, bringing us closer to a day when we can slow, stop, and even reverse all forms of dementia. Thanks to decades of research, we’ve made tremendous strides in understanding Alzheimer’s, and research remains our best hope of finally making this devastating disease a thing of the past.