Recent lecanemab trials are reason for hope. But the NHS and other health services may struggle to deliver these new treatments
It is 20 years since the last drug for Alzheimer’s was licensed in the UK. Since then, huge advances have been made in our understanding of the disease’s causes. Better diagnostic tests are available, and we may now be on the cusp of new treatments that could have an impact on some of the fundamental brain changes thought to lead to dementia. This morning, the results of a long-awaited trial of a promising new drug, lecanemab, were published in the New England Journal of Medicine. It could have beneficial effects for Alzheimer’s sufferers, although there are some caveats.
Dementia is defined as an acquired, progressive cognitive impairment that interferes with a person’s normal activities. In the UK, it affects more than 900,000 people and is the leading cause of death. Alzheimer’s Research UK puts the cost of caring for people with dementia at more than £25bn a year. As the population ages, those numbers will increase. In the UK alone, estimates suggest that about 1.6 million people will be affected by dementia by 2050.
