(GIST OF SCIENCE REPORTER) Lecanemab Drug

(OCTOBER-2025)

Recently, Australia approved Lecanemab drug for early stage Alzheimer’s diseases.

It is a monoclonal antibody drug to treat early stages of Alzheimer’s
It is designed to slow early Alzheimer's progression by targeting amyloid proteins in the brain.
It was developed to tackle the causes of Alzheimer’s disease rather than only relieving the symptoms.

It uses antibodies to recognise amyloid in the brain and works with the brain’s immune cells to clear amyloid protein build-up from the brains of people living with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease.
These amyloid protein build-ups are thought to be toxic to brain cells, causing them to get sick and eventually die, leading to the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease.
Lecanemab is given to patients intravenously, which means into a vein through a drip bag.
Recent clinical trials show a 27 per cent reduction in disease progression.
Issues with Lecanemab Drug: High cost and potential side effects, including brain swelling, limit its accessibility and raise safety concerns.

Alzheimer’s disease is a brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills and, eventually, the ability to carry out the simplest tasks.
It is the most common cause of dementia, a general term for memory loss and other cognitive abilities serious enough to interfere with daily life.
Alzheimer’s disease accounts for 60-80% of dementia cases.
It involves parts of the brain that control thought, memory, and language.
The condition usually affects people aged 65 years and over, with only 10% of cases occurring in people younger than this.