News Highlight
Researchers have discovered a drug named Lecanemab that reduces cognitive decline in patients with early Alzheimer’s.
Key Takeaway
- There are a few pills that improve memory in the early stages, but they do not help in the other facets of Alzheimer’s.
Lecanemab
- Lecanemab is an antibody that cleans protein deposits on brain cells.
- It is a new drug developed by pharma companies Biogen and Eisai.
- The company announced that the drug slowed down the rate of memory and thinking decline in early-stage Alzheimer’s patients by 27 per cent.
Alzheimer’s Disease
- Discovery:
- The disease was discovered after Dr Alios Alzheimer examined a memory-loss patient’s brain after her death in 1906 and found abnormal clumps (beta-amyloid plaque) and bundles of fibres (neurofibrillary tangles).
- About:
- It is a neurological disorder which causes brain cells to degenerate and dies.
- This leads to loss of memory, problems with words in speaking or writing, poor judgment, changes in mood and personality, confusion with time or place, etc.
- At the first stage, these symptoms are mild but they become more severe with time.
- Symptoms:
- Memory loss or Dementia is the key symptom of Alzheimer’s disease.
- Inability to recall recent events or discussions is the early symptom of the illness.
- Treatment:
- There is currently no known cure for Alzheimer’s disease.
- Treatment addresses several areas:
- Helping people maintain brain health.
- Managing behavioural symptoms.
- Slowing or delaying symptoms of the disease.
- Drugs and Discoveries for Alzheimer’s:
- An Indian-American scientist at the University of New Mexico developed an early version vaccine for Alzheimer’s disease in 2019.
- The results of the Vaccine intervention have not been obtained as yet.
- China also approved the world’s first multi-targeting and carbohydrate-based drug GV-971, for Alzheimer’s, in 2019.
- Vulnerability:
- Alzheimer’s disease most commonly affects older adults, but it can also affect people in their 30s or 40s.
- World Alzheimer’s Day:
- World Alzheimer’s Day is observed across the world on September 21, every year, with the objective of raising awareness of the disease, common symptoms, and risk factors.
- India’s scenario:
- Till 2020, Just a fraction of an estimated 5 million Indians with dementia and Alzheimer’s are diagnosed.
- In India, only 1 in 10 people with dementia receive any diagnosis, treatment or care for the disease, according to the World Alzheimer’s Report, 2021, published by the Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI).
Content Source: Indian express