Blitz Bureau
TWO drugs to treat Alzheimer’s disease have been rejected for use on the NHS because their benefits are “too small” to justify their cost.
Donanemab and lecanemab are targeted antibody drugs that slow down the early stages of Alzheimer’s by targeting a known cause, rather than just treating symptoms. Both drugs bind to amyloid, a protein which builds up in the brains of people living with Alzheimer’s disease, and are designed to help clear the build-up and slow down cognitive decline.
However, in publishing its final draft guidance, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) said the treatments have been shown to delay progression from mild to moderate Alzheimer’s by four to six months, which it described as only “modest benefits at best”. Donanemab has been shown in clinical trials to slow the rate at which memory and thinking get worse by more than 20 per cent.
Evidence suggests that people get the most benefit if they are given the treatment earlier in the disease. Results also suggest the drug leads to a 40 per cent slowing in the decline of everyday activities such as driving, enjoying hobbies and managing money.
Lecanemab has also been shown to successfully remove protein build-up from the brains of people living with early Alzheimer’s disease. For people taking lecanemab, this meant the decline in their thinking and memory skills was slowed down by 27 per cent.
It also slowed down the decline in quality of life by up to 56 per cent.
