U.S. FDA approves new Eli Lilly Alzheimer’s treatment

Indianapolis, Indiana – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has authorized Eli Lilly and Company’s novel adult Alzheimer’s treatment.

Kisunla is an intravenous injection given once a month to adults with early-stage symptomatic Alzheimer’s disease. It includes the following:

• People with mild cognitive impairment

• People with the mild dementia stage of AD, with confirmed amyloid pathology.

According to the press release, this medication is the first and only one that specifically targets amyloid plaque. There is evidence to support terminating the therapy upon removal of the plaques, which may lead to a reduction in the number of infusions and treatment expenses.

According to officials, the body produces amyloid, a protein that can clump together to form plaques. Alzheimer’s disease-related problems with memory and cognition can result from excessive plaque accumulation. The therapy aids in the elimination of amyloid plaque accumulation.

“Kisunla demonstrated very meaningful results for people with early symptomatic Alzheimer’s disease, who urgently need effective treatment options. We know these medicines have the greatest potential benefit when people are treated earlier in their disease, and we are working hard in partnership with others to improve detection and diagnosis,” Anne White, the executive vice president and president of Lilly Neuroscience for Eli Lilly and Company, said in the release. “Our deepest thanks to the patients and their loved ones for participating in our clinical programs and to Lilly scientists and collaborators persevering over decades of research. Each year, more and more people are at risk for this disease, and we are determined to make life better for them.”

When compared to a placebo, the medication was stated to have delayed cognitive and functional deterioration by up to 35% after 18 months. Additionally, officials reported that compared to the beginning of the study, once-monthly injections reduced plaques by an average of 84%. In a year, almost half of the participants in the student program finished their Kisunla treatment.

“This approval marks another step forward in evolving the standard of care for people living with Alzheimer’s disease that will ultimately include an arsenal of novel treatments, providing much-needed hope to the Alzheimer’s community. As a physician, I am encouraged by the potential to stop treatment, which could reduce out-of-pocket costs and infusion burden for eligible patients,” Howard Fillit, M.D., the co-founder and chief science officer at the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF), said in the release. “Diagnosing and treating Alzheimer’s sooner than we do today has the potential to meaningfully slow disease progression, giving patients invaluable time to maintain their independence for longer.”

According to officials, each patient’s overall treatment cost will be different depending on when they finish their course of care and their insurance. Check out the website of Eli Lilly and Company for additional details.