Good morning, everyone, and welcome to another working week. We hope the weekend respite — which was extended on this side of the pond — was relaxing and invigorating, because that oh-so-familiar routine of online meetings, phone calls, and deadlines has, of course, returned. But what can you do? The world, such as it is, keeps spinning. So time to give it a nudge in a better direction with a cup of stimulation. Our choice today is caramel apple. Please feel free to join us. Meanwhile, here is the latest menu of tidbits to help you get started. We hope you have a smashing day and, as always, do keep in touch. We enjoy the contact. …
A 65-year-old woman who was receiving a promising experimental treatment to slow the cognitive decline caused by her early Alzheimer’s disease recently died from a massive brain hemorrhage that some researchers link to the drug, Science reports. The clinical trial death, described in an unpublished case report obtained by the news site, is the second thought to be associated with the Eisai and Biogen antibody drug, called lecanemab. STAT reported on another such case last month. The newly disclosed fatality intensifies questions about the drug’s safety and how widely lecanemab should be prescribed if ultimately approved by regulators. The woman suffered a stroke and a type of swelling and bleeding previously seen with such antibodies.
A drug developed by Axsome Therapeutics significantly reduced agitation, which is a common side effect of Alzheimer’s disease, STAT writes. The therapy met its primary goal of delaying time to relapse and preventing patients from relapsing. Patients taking the drug had a 3.6-fold lower risk of relapse overall, compared to placebo. The trial also showed an improvement on a scale commonly used to measure overall agitation. The U.S. The Food and Drug Administration granted Axsome breakthrough therapy status for Alzheimer’s agitation, which could lead to accelerated approval. There are currently no approved treatments for Alzheimer’s disease agitation.
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