Alzheimer's drug hailed as major breakthrough could actually triple risk of dying, new research warns By Luke Chafer Published: 01:20 GMT, 3 November 2024 | Updated: 01:20 GMT, 3 November 2024 e-mail View comments An Alzheimer's drug that had been hailed as a major breakthrough may actually increase patients' chance of dying, according to new research. The treatment, lecanemab, was found to triple the risk of death within a year, compared with dementia sufferers not prescribed the drug. Previous studies have suggested it slowed the progression of the incurable brain disease by 25 per cent, providing patients with an estimated four to six months more of healthy life.
However, earlier this year the NHS spending watchdog, NICE, refused to fund the drug because it provides 'relatively small benefits...
which means it cannot be considered good value'. And last month the watchdog also rejected donanemab, another drug that had showed promise in suppressing symptoms. An Alzheimer's drug that had been hailed as a major breakthrough may actually increase patients' chance of dying (stock photo) The treatment, lecanemab, was found to triple the risk of death within a year, compared with dementia sufferers not prescribed the drug (stock photo) Both lecanemab and donanemab are given every fortnight as an infusion.
They work by reducing a toxic protein in the brain called amyloid, which is linked to dementia symptoms. Although not available on the NHS, lecanemab has been approved as safe fo.