Doctors have a new drug to prescribe to treat Alzheimer’s disease.
Earlier this month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of the drug, donanemab, which maker Eli Lilly plans to sell under the brand name Kisunla.
The drug is administered through a monoclonal antibody infusion every four weeks, and is used to treat early-stage Alzheimer’s and cognitive impairment by helping to remove the amyloid plaque buildups thought to cause Alzheimer’s.
An FDA advisory panel recommended approval of the drug in June after concluding the benefits of using it outweighed its potential risks, which include brain swelling and bleeding.
“We know these medicines have the greatest potential benefit when people are treated earlier in their disease, and we are working hard in partnership with others to improve detection and diagnosis,” Anne White, executive vice president and president of Lilly Neuroscience, Eli Lilly and Company said in a press release.
Eli Lilly’s most recent study showed a slower mental decline in groups with both less advanced and more advanced stages of the disease compared to those taking the placebo, with greater effects seen the longer the drug was taken.
People taking the drug saw their cognitive decline delayed by between 4.5 and 7.5 months. They also had a 39% lower risk of advancing to the next clinical stage of dementia, according to Eli Lilly.
The cost for treatment is anticipated to range depending on how long a patient is being treated, ranging from $12,522 for six months up to $48,696 for 18 months. Each vial costs around $696. According to Eli Lilly, “more than 98%” of Medicare patients should be able to remove the costs for treatment through their coverage.
