00:00Alzheimer's disease is a type of dementia that affects over six million Americans.
00:04There is currently no cure and very few treatments. For many years the idea of a
00:11drug that could affect the course of Alzheimer's seemed like science fiction.
00:16Now it's becoming a reality. The drug called Laconomab, which is sold under
00:22the brand name Lakembi, was recently approved by the FDA for treatment of
00:27early Alzheimer's disease. Dr. Michael Rosenblum of UW Medicine Neurology
00:32explains. This moment is extremely important because for the first time we
00:38have a drug that is approved for Alzheimer's disease that is developed to
00:43be disease-modifying and it actually met its primary outcome measures. And even
00:48though the outcome was relatively modest, that is 27% slowing of cognitive and
00:54functional decline over 18 months, this is still a step in the right direction.
00:59The Laconomab is given by IV infusion every two weeks. It contains special
01:04antibodies that signal the immune system to clear away amyloid proteins that
01:08build up in the brains of people with Alzheimer's. This helps slow cognitive
01:13decline in early stages of the disease. It's not perfect. Some people did have
01:19side effects in clinical trials but they were usually not serious. To qualify for the
01:24treatment, a doctor must determine that you have early Alzheimer's disease and have
01:29amyloid in the brain. Amyloid is detected either with a spinal tap or a brain
01:34imaging technique called a PET scan. If you have concerns about memory loss, talk with
01:40your doctor. As other potential Alzheimer's drugs advance through clinical
01:44trials, hopefully this is just the start of more better treatments to address this disease.
