Donanemab - the new wonder drug for dementia?

There is always something new appearing in the press about what we can be eating to help prevent dementia, or about a new drug that has gone to trial. Usually it is then forgotten about and we move onto the next thing. Is Donanemab different? In July we heard about results from phase 3 clinical trials which genuinely do sound very exciting. However there are some considerations we need to take into account along with the attention grabbing headlines (like mine above..)

• Donanemab will not treat all dementias. Dementia is a term to describe a set of symptoms. These symptoms can be caused by a number of diseases of the brain, of which Alzheimer’s Disease is the most common. Donanemab has been developed to treat Alzheimer’s Disease, not any other forms of dementia.

• It usually takes years for a drug to go from trial to being generally available. Licensing by NICE in the UK is not likely to happen quickly although organisations like Alzheimer’s Research UK are pushing for the manufacturer Eli Lilly to put the drug forward for licensing as soon as possible.

• Side effects. In the clinical trial 1,800 people with early-stage Alzheimer’s Disease took the new drug. The most significant side effects were reported to be brain swelling and four people died during the trial, they suspect due to side effects.

However, all of that aside, the results from the trial were very encouraging; showing a 35% reduction in the progression of the dementia symptoms. For quite a few people over the length of the trial there was no progression of symptoms at all. It appears that the earlier on in the disease the drug is taken the better it works. For me, if I was living with dementia right now I would be keen to take the risk of the side effects and give the trial a go.

It is definitely time for some advancements in the medical treatment of dementia, it has a devastating impact on the lives of an increasing number of people across the world. I believe there should be a much larger focus on developing medicines.

I also believe that it is just as, if not more, important to focus on the social treatment of the disease rather than just the medicinal. Supporting people to live well with dementia has a far greater impact on their wellbeing and those around them than any medicine will. There is evidence that a focus on certain lifestyle factors can also slow down the progression of the dementia symptoms.

We will look forward to further news of the progression of Donanemab here in the UK.

Alastair Shanks, Owner of Right at Home GF and Dementia Friends Champion