New Alzheimer’s drug approved by FDA

QUINCY (WGEM) - This afternoon the FDA granted full approval for a new Alzheimer’s drug that aims to slow the progression of the disease.

The medication known as Leqembi, pulls the plaque that builds up in the brain when Alzheimer’s is present.

The drug has been through countless studies, in which it was shown to slow the on-set of Alzheimer’s by 27%.

However, local doctors warn there are some risks involved when taking this medication.

“Those are the two big risks that we’ve heard about, so far in the studies, have been brain bleeding and swelling in the brain,” said Dr. Austin Hake, a neurologist at Quincy Medical Group. “So we’re going to have to be careful about who gets enrolled on this drug because some people won’t be good canidates for it because of those risks. So, it’s gonna be, it’s really going to depend on the situation for each patient.”

Dr. Hake said the drug is not a cure, and in most cases won’t be helpful for patients with late stage Alzheimer’s. He said the drug is tailored to early stages of the disease.

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