A new clinical trial led by Washington University School of Medicine suggests that early intervention with an anti-amyloid drug can delay or even prevent Alzheimer’s-related dementia. The study, published in The Lancet Neurology, focused on individuals with rare genetic mutations that cause early-onset Alzheimer’s disease.
Researchers found that lowering the risk of Alzheimer’s by 50% is possible when amyloid plaques are removed from the brain before symptoms appear. A subgroup of 22 participants with no cognitive symptoms at the start received an experimental drug for eight years, and their risk of developing symptoms decreased from nearly 100% to about 50%.
The study reinforces the amyloid hypothesis, which suggests that the accumulation of amyloid plaques in the brain is the first step toward Alzheimer’s disease. By targeting amyloid years before symptoms emerge, researchers hope to slow or halt the progression of the disease.
This breakthrough comes after mixed results from previous trials. The study used an anti-amyloid drug developed by Roche/Genentech and previously halted due to disappointing results in a broader trial. However, the extended study showed that long-term early treatment had a meaningful impact on cognitive decline.
The Knight Family DIAN-TU research team is now launching a new trial to explore the long-term effects of amyloid removal. Researchers are also enrolling younger participants as early as age 18 in a primary prevention trial to investigate whether stopping amyloid accumulation decades before symptoms appear can prevent the disease altogether.
These findings have broader implications, suggesting that the same preventive approach could benefit millions at risk for late-onset Alzheimer’s. The study’s senior author, Randall J. Bateman, is optimistic that one day soon, they may be able to delay or even prevent Alzheimer’s disease for millions of people.
Source: https://www.insideprecisionmedicine.com/topics/precision-medicine/anti-amyloid-drug-shows-potential-to-delay-alzheimers-symptoms