The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently gave full approval to Leqembi (lecanemab) for patients in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. Physicians and researchers at Washington University School of Medicine’s Charles F. and Joanne Knight Alzheimer Disease Research Center (Knight ADRC) in St. Louis were involved in the clinical trials evaluating Leqembi, in which they enrolled participants with the most common form of Alzheimer’s disease, which occurs in people age 65 and older.
Barbara Joy Snider, MD, PhD, a professor of neurology, led the trials at Washington University. Beginning in August, physicians at Washington University and BJC HealthCare will offer Leqembi to eligible patients. Those seeking more information about the drug and about who is eligible to receive it may call 314-362-WELL (9355).
Here, Snider answers questions about the drug.
Why is FDA approval of Leqembi such a big deal?
Leqembi doesn’t cure Alzheimer’s disease, and it can’t improve memory and thinking. It is, however, the first drug that has been shown to slow progression of Alzheimer’s disease in people with early-stage disease. A large clinical trial of Leqembi that Washington University’s Knight ADRC participated in showed that the drug slowed declines in memory and thinking by about 30% over the course of 18 months of treatment.