The truth about donanemab, lecanemab and the new class of Alzheimer’s drugs

In early July, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a treatment called donanemab for people with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease. It is the second drug shown to slow the condition’s progression, and the third FDA-authorised medication that clears the amyloid proteins that accumulate in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s.

The FDA’s approval of three new drugs – donanemab, lecanemab and aducanumab – in just over three years has led some to declare a leap forward in Alzheimer’s disease treatment. Japan, South Korea, China,…