The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency has approved Lecanemab for use in the UK, marking a significant step in the fight against Alzheimers. Meanwhile, the Therapeutic Goods Administration is currently evaluating the drug for approval in Australia. Lecanemab has already received approval in several countries, including The USA, Japan, China, South Korea, and Israel.
The director of the Australian Dementia Network (ADNeT), Professor Christopher Rowe, welcomes the move by the UK medicines regulatory authority.
“While it is not a cure it is an exciting and historic first step towards reducing the huge impact that Alzheimer’s disease has across communities, not only those with the disease but also their families, carers and health and aged care services,” Professor Rowe said.
A carer for her mother-in-law, Jo Filceski, expressed her hope and gratitude for any new medications that could help improve the quality of life for Alzheimer’s patients. Mrs Filceski’s mother-in-law suffers from Alzheimer’s disease and Vascular Dementia.
“Seeing close relatives go through this disease has created a fear to get older, so these breakthroughs in medicine give me hope that there will be solutions in the future,” Mrs Filceski said.
“Hopefully it will also help the families looking after the patients…if it can assist in stabilising mood changes and sleep patterns,” Mrs Filceski added.
Lecanemab was designed to slow the progression of early Alzheimer’s disease by targeting and removing amyloid plaques from the brain. These plaques are a key factor in the development of Alzheimer’s, and their removal helps reduce the decline in cognitive abilities and daily functioning.
The CEO of Dementia Australia, Professor Tanya Buchanan, said that Dementia Australia is looking forward to Lecanemab being approved in Australia.
“This is a step forward in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and represents a new hope for people impacted by dementia,” Professor Buchanan said.
The use of Lecanemab represents the first step towards effective treatments.
