Can Dementia be Overcome? The Emergence of New Treatments.

Good news has emerged for dementia patients. It is expected that a new dementia treatment will be implemented in domestic hospitals starting next year. The United States and Japan are also planning to introduce new dementia treatments by the end of this year. Unlike previous treatments that provided only partial relief of symptoms, this new treatment is said to target the underlying cause of dementia, Alzheimer's disease. As a result, both domestic and international academia believe that the end of dementia has begun.

 

However, as research is still ongoing, the perfect efficacy of these treatments cannot be guaranteed.

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Among various causes of dementia, Alzheimer's disease accounts for two-thirds of all cases. However, the lack of a clear understanding of the disease's origin has hindered the development of effective treatments. It has only been established that the accumulation of a protein called amyloid-beta in the brain leads to the destruction of brain cells.

 

Since the 2000s, research into treatments focused on removing amyloid-beta has begun. Currently, there are known to be over 140 ongoing studies on dementia treatments. Among them, three treatments—Leqamrep, Donanemab, and Lecanemab—have gained prominence. These are the first treatments designed to remove amyloid-beta, effectively slowing the progression of Alzheimer's.

 

However, recently developed dementia treatments like Lecanemab are not capable of entirely halting Alzheimer's. They are, however, successful in slowing down the progression of the disease by about 25%. This is a significant advancement in itself. Moreover, unlike previous treatments, these can be administered to early-stage dementia patients, opening up the possibility of combination therapies.

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During the Alzheimer's clinical trial conference held in the United States, the final study results of the new treatment Lecanemab were announced. According to the results, the group of early-stage Alzheimer's patients who received Lecanemab showed a 27% slower decline in memory and cognitive function compared to the placebo group after 18 months. The pace of dementia progression was delayed by approximately seven months, leading to a 56% reduction in the deterioration of quality of life.

 

This new treatment operates by removing accumulated amyloid-beta in the brain. Lecanemab is an immune therapy that uses the human immune system to clear amyloid-beta in the brain. This approach has already been employed in treating certain diseases such as cancer.

 

Next, Donanemab, like Lecanemab, is a treatment that removes amyloid-beta. It was tested on early-stage Alzheimer's patients, revealing that after 18 months, amyloid-beta was removed in 72% of patients, unlike Lecanemab. Particularly, in the group with low or intermediate levels of tau protein, the study results showed significant delays in cognitive or functional decline.

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Currently, Eli Lilly is developing a new treatment called Lemetetrag, which is showing faster and more potent effects than Lecanemab. In a clinical trial targeting early-stage Alzheimer's patients, the Lemetetrag group showed a 60% slower progression of Alzheimer's compared to the placebo group.

 

Based on these research results, it is anticipated that new dementia treatments will be implemented in domestic hospitals starting next year. This is expected to bring great hope to dementia patients and their families.

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However, as research is still ongoing, the perfect efficacy of these treatments cannot be guaranteed. Additionally, there are various factors to consider such as treatment costs and potential side effects. Nevertheless, this research is being hailed as a significant breakthrough in the field of dementia treatment. A better future is anticipated for Alzheimer's patients and their families.