The Food and Drug Administration recently approved a new drug for Alzheimer’s disease called Kisunla, developed by Eli Lilly. This drug belongs to a new class of treatments that have shown promise in slowing cognitive decline in the early stages of the disease. However, it also comes with significant safety risks, such as brain swelling and bleeding.
One of the trial participants for a similar drug called donanemab is Bev Krol from Phoenix. She has been involved in the trial for nearly three years, and her husband, Mark, noted that she started experiencing memory issues about six years ago.
Kisunla, like another drug named Leqembi, works by targeting a specific protein related to Alzheimer’s disease. Both drugs have been found to delay the progression of dementia by a few months. One advantage of Kisunla is that patients can discontinue the treatment once the targeted protein, amyloid, has been cleared from the brain. This feature may appeal to patients, doctors, and insurers as it can reduce the overall cost, inconvenience, and risk of side effects associated with long-term treatment.
According to Lilly, a significant percentage of patients in the clinical trial were able to stop taking Kisunla after a certain period, and their cognitive decline continued to slow even after discontinuation. The company is currently assessing how long this effect will last beyond the trial period.
Overall, the approval of Kisunla offers a glimmer of hope for individuals and families affected by Alzheimer’s disease. While the drug may not be a cure, it represents a step forward in the treatment of this debilitating condition. Patients, caregivers, and healthcare providers now have another option to consider in the management of early-stage Alzheimer’s.
