WELCOME: GLOBAL BHP BRAINTRUST
A Message from Andrea Pfeifer, Chair of the Global BHP BrainTrust
It was supposed to be a historic breakthrough: the first disease-modifying drug targeting Alzheimer’s disease entering the European market bringing hope to countless patients and their families. However, in July, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) recommended the refusal of the marketing authorisation.
Leqembi is believed to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s in its early stages. This belief is shared by regulators in the U.S., China, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, South Korea, United Arab Emirates and just today also Great Britain, where the drug has been approved.
The EMA, however, remains skeptical. They stated that while the drug did help patients, the improvement was minor and came with serious side effects, such as brain swelling and bleeding (official statement). In addition, at this year’s Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC), a study presented a significant sex difference (higher benefit in males compared to females) in the effect of Leqembi, reinforcing that research should consider gender disparities. Overall, both have caused significant disappointment and discussions within the Alzheimer’s community.
Nonetheless, the search for effective Alzheimer’s treatments continues. In a promising development, researchers have introduced a new Alzheimer’s blood test, which guarantees 90% accuracy in early Alzheimer’s detection.
This new pathway might help calm the current turmoil and renew hope for patients and their families. In particular, as the combination of early diagnosis and intervention before symptoms occur might lead to prevention of the disease in the future.