The approval of new antibody medications for Alzheimer’s disease \u2013 lecanemab and donanemab \u2013 and diagnostic\u00a0tests in\u00a0the blood mark\u00a0the beginning of a new era in Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis and\u00a0treatment. However, without\u00a0rapid reform in healthcare systems, public policy, and societal attitudes,\u00a0their potential will not\u00a0be fully realized, argue 40 leading Alzheimer’s disease experts in\u00a0The Lancet\u00a0Series on Alzheimer’s disease.<\/p>\n
Alzheimer’s disease accounts for about\u00a070% of all dementia cases and is a leading cause of disability, resulting in high societal and economic costs.<\/p>\n
In a novel comparison,\u00a0the Series highlights\u00a0that\u00a0the new monoclonal antibody\u00a0treatments can slow Alzheimer’s disease progression\u00a0to a level comparable\u00a0to\u00a0the efficacy of medicines for cancer, rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis. However,\u00a0the authors say\u00a0that\u00a0differences in age, patient\u00a0outcomes, and side effects mean such comparisons should be\u00a0treated cautiously.<\/p>\n
For a more detailed comparison see\u00a0table 2, page 8 in\u00a0the\u00a0third paper ‘Alzheimer’s disease outlook: controversies and future directions’\u00a0<\/p>\n
Despite\u00a0the similarity in\u00a0treatment\u00a0effectiveness for other diseases, high costs of medication, complex\u00a0testing requirements, suboptimal care for behavioural symptoms, and under-resourcing risk leaving Alzheimer’s patients behind.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Encouragingly, improvements in\u00a0the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease are also on\u00a0the horizon, with emerging Brain Health Services identifying people at\u00a0a high risk for developing\u00a0the disease and providing\u00a0them with personalised\u00a0treatment\u00a0programs. Yet\u00a0most\u00a0cases of Alzheimer’s disease occur in people with low or normal risk, making population-wide measures, which decrease risk \u2013 such as healthier urban design and restrictions on alcohol and sugary drinks \u2013 essential.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The authors call for coordinated global action so\u00a0that\u00a0the rapid pace of science advancement\u00a0in\u00a0the field of Alzheimer’s disease is matched by reforms at\u00a0the level of healthcare providers, policy, and society.<\/p>\n
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Blood\u00a0tests, biological drugs for Alzheimer’s disease, and prevention interventions are propelling care into entirely new and exciting\u00a0territory. However,\u00a0the old needs of patients will not\u00a0disappear. On\u00a0the contrary, more general practitioners and dementia specialists will need\u00a0to master\u00a0the less glamorous but\u00a0steady advances made in\u00a0the past\u00a0few decades in\u00a0the care and\u00a0treatment\u00a0of behavioural disorders,\u00a0the use of sophisticated diagnostic imaging and laboratory\u00a0tools, and psychosocial care. A concerted societal effort\u00a0in\u00a0this direction will enable our current\u00a0and future patients\u00a0to benefit\u00a0fully from\u00a0the potential of scientific and\u00a0technological advances.”\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Professor Giovanni Frisoni, Lead author of\u00a0the Series,\u00a0University of Geneva (Switzerland)<\/p>\n
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