New evidence is emerging that suggests 2024 will be an exciting year for the Alzheimer’s Society.
Developments in dementia and Alzheimer research took a big step forward in 2023, with advances in the diagnosis of the conditions and new treatments. Now the society has revealed it expects to hear whether two new drugs to slow the onset of early Alzheimer’s will be approved for UK use in 2024.
Around 900,000 people in the UK have dementia, with more than 60% of them having been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. The brain disorder destroys thinking skills and memory over time, eventually causing sufferers to lose the ability to do even simple tasks.
The most common cause of dementia among older adults, Alzheimer’s usually occurs when an individual is in their mid-60s. People can develop early-onset Alzheimer’s between their mid-30s and mid-60s. Changes in the brain’s nerve cells that transmit messages to organs and muscles in the body are among the symptoms.
The condition is named after the doctor who first discovered it in 1906, Alois Alzheimer, a German psychiatrist and neuropathologist.
Lecanemab dementia treatment
Lecanemab was in the news last year as a modifying treatment for early Alzheimer’s disease. It was approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration on 6th July 2023.
The FDA said it was the “first and only” approved treatment that reduced the speed of the disease’s progression and slowed functional and cognitive decline. It had shown “clinically meaningful” results among adults in a mixture of ethnic and racial groups who had experienced mild cognitive impairments due to Alzheimer’s. The trials concluded treatment with lecanemab should begin for patients in the mild dementia stage.
People caring for Alzheimer’s patients measured a 37% improvement in their ability to feed and dress themselves and take part in community activities.
Since its approval in the US last year, lecanemab has attracted global interest, including in the UK. An antibody intravenous infusion therapy, it targets and removes harmful beta-amyloid from the brain - a substance linked to cognitive decline and progressive brain atrophy.
An application was made to the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence in May 2023 to approve lecanemab in the UK. There has been a long wait because the governing bodies not only look at the clinical benefits proven in trials, but they also require patients to be closely monitored over a longer period of time.
Now the MHRA has included lecanemab in its Licensing and Access Pathway, aimed at fast-tracking the progress and approval of innovative medicines. The NICE review is already underway and health chiefs are optimistic the decision will be published in July this year. As a result, the Alzheimer’s Society is hopeful the drug may be approved during the second half of 2024.
Donanemab dementia treatment
The second drug currently under review is donanemab, which has been hailed a “turning point” in the battle against Alzheimer’s. It was in the news in July 2023 after clinical trials suggested it appeared to slow down the decline in thinking and memory loss in Alzheimer’s patients.
The drug slowed the early stages of the disease by an average of 35% in clinical trials. Like lecanemab, donanemab was most effective when prescribed for patients early on. Administered during an 18-month trial; after one year of taking it, nearly 50% of subjects showed no decline in memory or thinking skills and the reduced ability to carry out day-to-day tasks such as managing finances, enjoying hobbies and driving went down by 40%.
The US Food and Drug Administration has announced it won’t make a ruling on whether to approve donanemab until after the first quarter of 2024, after an evaluation by an advisory committee. The Alzheimer’s Society anticipates a ruling will be made in the UK by the MHRA this year as well, although there isn’t a firm date yet.
Investment in Alzheimer’s treatment
The society funds research in dementia every year through its grants for cutting-edge projects, which improve diagnosis, treatment and care.
In 2023, a £5 million grant from the People’s Postcode Lottery enabled the Blood Biomarker Challenge to be launched. The joint project between the National Institute of Health and Care Research, the Alzheimer’s Society and Alzheimer’s Research UK focuses on blood tests for dementia through the NHS. The researchers chosen to take part in the pilot scheme will be announced this year.
It will run for five years, assessing blood tests for early signs of dementia in the UK population. It will also include an analysis on the estimated cost to the NHS of using blood biomarkers in the future.
The Alzheimer’s Society will be investing more than £4 million this year in research, including up to £1.8 million for doctors’ training centres for dementia specialists.
The society also aims to fund dementia research by communities of PhD students in training hubs that will bring various skillsets together.
Support for people living with dementia
Carers continue to play a huge part in the progression of Alzheimer’s research.
The Alzheimer’s Society has been pressing NICE to decide whether the new drugs will be approved in the UK and available on the NHS. The society has carried out its own surveys into what life’s like for people living with dementia as evidence in support of approving donanemab. They have spoken to individuals with dementia and their carers to provide an insight into their day-to-day lives and the positive impact the new drugs could have.
Carers help in many ways, such as encouraging the person with dementia to maintain existing relationships and forge new ones, as they play a key role in our identity. They can accompany the person to take part in community activities, join social groups and take up hobbies where they will meet other people.
Carers can devise mental and physical health care strategies such as adopting a healthier diet, exercising more, focusing on the present and cutting down on smoking and alcohol. They also ensure the patient has the highest quality hygiene care supplies that meet their needs.
Being a carer for someone with dementia isn’t easy, as there is an increasing amount of responsibility in the relationship. It’s important to balance their own emotional needs with those of the patient to avoid feelings of burnout and stress.
According to a study by the Alzheimer’s Society, nine out of ten carers for someone with dementia feel stressed and anxious themselves at times, while 80% find it hard to discuss how they feel and struggle in silence.
The 700,000 people in the UK who care for a person with dementia save the government £11.6 billion annually by helping the patients in their own home. The Alzheimer’s Society is calling on the government to give them more support, including easily accessible online forums, as many carers don’t have time to see their GP in person if they’re feeling stressed.
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