Alzheimer’s drug touted as gamechanger could triple risk of dying

An

Alzheimer’s drug

that promised to slow down the progression of the most common form of

dementia

, may increase the risk of dying by 25%, a new research said.
The surprising findings of the study suggested that the drug

lecanemab

was found to triple the risk of death within a year, compared with people with dementia who were not prescribed the drug.
Earlier studies shed light on the drug’s efficiency in reducing disease progression by 25%, which gave them an estimated four to six months more of a healthy life. However, the recent findings call for exercising caution in using the drug for Alzheimer’s treatment.

Deaths, concerning side effects

The new research uncovers concerning side effects of the drug and found that it poses a greater risk of death than reported in the clinical trials. The research said that it could lead to an extra 21 excess deaths per 10,000 patients who take lecanemab.
As per experts, 3,000 patients started with the drug after it was approved by US health officials in July 2023. It is observed that patients who took this drug are at an increased risk of life-threatening complications like

swelling

and

bleeding in the brain

.
The experts behind the study warn that ‘there is a precedent for the removal of drugs if their side effects or mortality signals are of concern’.

What NICE said about Lecanemab and donanemab

It is to be noted that earlier this year the NHS spending watchdog, NICE, declined funding the drug as it provides ‘relatively small benefits’.
It also rejected another similar drug donanemab that had shown promise in suppressing symptoms of Alzheimer’s.
Both the Alzheimer’s drugs – lecanemab and donanemab are given as an infusion at the gap of 15 days. They are said to reduce a toxic protein in the brain called amyloid, which is linked to dementia symptoms.
Lecanemab though has been approved for safe use by the UK regulator, and is available to patients privately for a cost of around £20,000 a year.
Professor Robert Howard, one of the authors of the research, said: “The idea that lecanemab is a miracle drug is not supported by the evidence from the trials. It’s even dubious to say that they slow down progression, as that is just an interpretation. Off the back of the NICE decision, these are important findings.”

What happened to the people who used the drug

It has been discovered from the real-world data from the drug’s use in America that a series of deaths has been registered during the trials.
About one in ten trial participants had swelling in the brain and one in six experienced small brain bleeds, which in rare cases led to life-threatening symptoms.
Three patients died in the trial. They all carried a gene called APOE4, which puts patients at greater risk of brain bleeds. About 15 per cent of Alzheimer’s patients have this gene.