Alzheimer’s patients are set to find out whether a new drug could become available in the UK as health regulators are poised to announce their decision on donanemab.
The treatment – one of two new drugs to target a cause of the disease – has been considered by the medicines regulator and the NHS spending watchdog.
A decision is expected imminently.
Donanemab, manufactured by pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly, is a targeted antibody drug which slows down the early stages of Alzheimer’s.
The drug, and another new drug for Alzheimer’s called lecanemab, have been billed as a huge step forward in research because they target a known cause of the disease, rather than just treating the symptoms.
In August, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency said that lecanemab is efficient at slowing Alzheimer’s disease and made it the first drug of its kind to be licensed for use in Great Britain.
Our committee is unable to recommend lecanemab for treating mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia caused by Alzheimer’s disease.
Benefits of slowing disease progression, by 4-6 months on average, can not justify the high cost to the NHS.
Learn more: https://t.co/nSjcKGChsp pic.twitter.com/6CAZteBjOX
— NICE (@NICEComms) August 22, 2024
But the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) said that the drug should not be rolled out for widespread use across the NHS.
The NHS spending watchdog said the benefits of lecanemab are “just too small to justify the significant cost to the NHS”.
One charity said that it is “deeply disappointing” that patients with early stage Alzheimer’s will not have access to the drug on the health service “and it will only be available to those who can pay privately”.
Bittersweet news as Alzheimer's drug #lecanemab has been licensed for use in Britain but won't be available on the #NHS.
It's a remarkable achievement that we now have a drug that can slow Alzheimer's, but it's clear the NHS is not ready to deliver it. pic.twitter.com/gfsqfiJz2j
— Alzheimer's Research UK (@AlzResearchUK) August 22, 2024
Dementia experts have questioned whether a similar decision could be taken for donanemab.
Both drugs bind to amyloid, a protein which builds up in the brains of people living with Alzheimer’s disease.
By binding to amyloid, the drugs are designed to help clear the build-up and slow down cognitive decline.
Evidence suggests that people get the most benefit if they are given the treatment earlier in the disease.
Clinical trials testing the safety and efficacy of donanemab, also known as Kisunla, found that it could slow the rate at which memory and thinking get worse by more than 20%.
Results also suggest the drug leads to a 40% reduction in the decline of everyday activities such as driving, enjoying hobbies and managing money.
The drug, which is given to patients via an intravenous drip once every four weeks, does carry a risk of side effects – some of them serious, including brain swelling and micro brain bleeds.
