Alzheimer’s Disease Drug Shows Positive Clinical Trial Results

(Sept. 28, 2022) Clarksburg, MD—BrightFocus Foundation—a leading nonprofit funder of Alzheimer’s disease research for nearly 50 years—is encouraged by the positive topline results issued yesterday on the global Phase 3 clinical trial of Alzheimer’s drug lecanemab, which was reported to slow cognitive decline among people with Alzheimer’s disease.

The findings are the first to show a statistically significant decrease in cognitive issues by targeting amyloid, a protein expressed in many different organ systems. Eisai and Biogen reported lecanemab reduced cognitive decline by 27% through the removal of aggregated amyloid-beta (Aβ ) in the brains of people who received it (nearly 2,000 participants) compared to a placebo.

When amyloid gets misprocessed and accumulates, it causes neurodegeneration. A healthy brain can break down amyloid-beta and eliminate it, but in Alzheimer’s disease, Aβ forms insoluble plaques that are toxic to neurons and sometimes associated with memory loss and other changes.

Stacy Pagos Haller, President and CEO, BrightFocus Foundation, stated, “BrightFocus Foundation is excited for a potential new treatment that could slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease and improve quality of life for the millions of people it devastates.” Haller added, “Our team of expert Alzheimer’s disease researchers are actively exploring multiple scientific pathways that have the most promise to end Alzheimer’s; we won’t stop until there’s a cure.”

Eisai will present the study results on Nov. 29 at the Clinical Trials on Alzheimer’s Congress (CTAD) and stated that findings will be published in a peer-reviewed medical journal. Eisai already applied for accelerated FDA approval of the drug based on a smaller, earlier-stage clinical trial and said they will now submit the new trial results to the FDA and expect a decision to be made by early next year.

View Alzheimer’s disease resources and learn more about the Alzheimer’s disease research funded by BrightFocus on brightfocus.org.

About BrightFocus Foundation

BrightFocus Foundation is a premier nonprofit funder of research to defeat Alzheimer’s, macular degeneration, and glaucoma. Through its flagship research programs—Alzheimer’s Disease Research, National Glaucoma Research, and Macular Degeneration Research—the Foundation is currently supporting a $75 million portfolio of 287 scientific projects worldwide. BrightFocus has awarded nearly $275 million in groundbreaking medical research funding since inception and shares the latest research findings, expert information, and bilingual disease resources to empower the millions impacted by these devasting diseases.  Join our community at brightfocus.org.

Science Experts Available for Media Interviews

Scientific experts from BrightFocus Foundation are available to discuss brain and vision research.

Diane Bovenkamp, PhD, vice president, Scientific Affairs; Sharyn Rossi, PhD, director of scientific programs, neuroscience; and Preeti Subramanian, PhD, director of scientific programs, vision science, at BrightFocus Foundation, are available for comments.

To arrange a media interview, please contact:

Kaci Baez, BrightFocus Foundation
kbaez@brightfocus.org
(301) 556-9370

Julia Roth, BrightFocus Foundation
jroth@brightfocus.org
(301) 556-9382