First ever Alzheimer's drug gets FDA approval

Wednesday 16th June 2021 07:29 EDT
 
 

The USA's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the first ever drug that slows Alzheimer's. The agency gave aducanumab the go ahead after trials found high doses “significantly” boosted memory and language skills. This is the first ever drug for the brain disorder in nearly 20 years.

The FDA approval will most likely increase the chances of big pharmaceuticals developing new treatments and investing more time in researching the disease. While the new drug awaits approval by the UK's Medicines & Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), it is expected to be rolled out on the NHS by 2022.

Director of Brain Health Scotland and Professor of the Psychiatry of Ageing, University of Edinburgh, Prof Craig Ritchie said, “The announcement by the FDA is welcomed as it opens a new chapter for drug treatments in Alzheimer's disease. Use within the NGS though remains some months away and it is critically important that the safe use of this intervention in those people most likely to benefit is fully considered.”

Director of the Systems Immunity Research Institute, Cardiff University, Prof Paul Morgan added that any development in the area should be applauded. He said, “Celebration because any progress in the development of effective drugs for this devastating disease must be welcomed; caution because the evidence base for the use of this drug is limited, evident from its very chequered history of trials failure and phoenix-like re-birth.”

Alzheimer's is a type of dementia caused by a build-up of toxic proteins that damage brain cells. Chief Executive at Alzheimer's Research UK, Hilary Evans said approval by the MHRA would be a “historic moment” in the fight against the disease.


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