Last summer, we reported on the FDA approval of Leqembi, a medication that slows down cognitive decline in patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment or early Alzheimer’s Disease. While the medication is now covered by Medicare, patients who want access still have to demonstrate a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s and still have to be willing to risk the side effects of the medication, which can include brain swelling and brain bleeding. In essence, those who agree to take Leqembi must decide whether the benefits of the medication are worth the risks and consequences they may experience. The medication is only beneficial if it is received early in the disease process. Those with more significant symptoms will not benefit and are not eligible for the drug.

New research, however, puts into question whether anyone really benefits from Leqembi. According to a new study published in the Annals of Family Medicine, Leqembi and other newly developed drugs that target the amyloid beta protein associated with Alzheimer’s do not result in outcomes that are clinically meaningful to patients- but do pose “clinically meaningful harms” in many patients taking the medication. As one researcher reports, this new study “suggests that the hefty cost, time burden and potential side effects of the new Alzheimer’s drugs may not be worth the minimal benefit.” Certainly, any patient wishing to try the medication needs to understand the very modest clinical benefits seen to date, while recognizing the potential risks of the medication. As this researcher went on to explain, “The differences in function and cognition between treated and untreated patients were so small that a patient or their caregiver generally wouldn’t notice the difference.”

Nonetheless, efforts continue to be underway to develop new methods to diagnose Alzheimer’s and intervene as early and easily as possible, to minimize the brain damage from Alzheimer’s. Early diagnosis will also lead to reduced health costs and enable patients and their families to plan for the future with as much time as possible. With those goals in mind, it seems significant progress is being made to develop a blood test that can confirm an Alzheimer’s diagnosis. According to a new study published in JAMA Neurology, researchers out of the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, using proprietary technology from ALZPath, have developed a blood test that appears to be as accurate in detecting Alzheimer’s as the current diagnostic methods of PET scans and lumbar punctures for spinal fluid, but in a much less expensive and less invasive manner.  The blood test appears to have a unique sensitivity that can pick up low amounts of the proteins that strongly indicate the presence of Alzheimer’s. While not yet FDA-approved for use in the US, the test is likely to be available soon to certain physicians and will likely gain popularity in the coming years in hospitals and regional labs. Whether or not this will be a game changer, allowing patients to be diagnosed easily and early, so they can take advantage of new treatments, or whether it will be used as a screening test for patients who show some symptoms, remains to be seen. Given the large and growing prevalence of Alzheimer’s, we desperately need an inexpensive and accurate way to diagnose it to intervene as early as possible. For more on this blood test, stick out your arm and read here.

Breaking News: Aduhelm, the controversial Alzheimer’s medication that was FDA-approved in 2021 but has had little acceptance by patients and providers, is being taken off the market by its manufacturer Biogen. For more on this decision, read here.