Donanemab results presented at Alzheimer’s Association International Conference, CMH Missouri Memory Center contributes to landmark clinical trial
Missouri Memory Center at Citizens Memorial Hospital participated in the Eli Lilly and Company international clinical trial of Donanemab, whose full results were shared Monday, July 17, at the 2023 Alzheimer's Association International Conference (AAIC) in Amsterdam, Netherlands, and simultaneously published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
Eli Lilly and Company presented full results from the Phase 3 TRAILBLAZER-ALZ 2 study showing that Donanemab significantly slowed cognitive and functional decline in people with early symptomatic Alzheimer's disease.
Curtis Schreiber, M.D., board-certified neurologist and medical director for Missouri Memory Center and CMH Research Department in Bolivar, shared his thoughts on being a part of this study while attending the AAIC in Amsterdam:
“After decades of there being nothing new for patients with Alzheimer's disease, yet another new option for treatment appears to be on track for FDA approval later this year.
Eli Lilly presented the positive results of their clinical trial on Donanemab July 17 at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference, the largest meeting in the world for Alzheimer's disease research. Donanemab is a drug that is designed to specifically target the brain changes of Alzheimer's, but more importantly, it slows the progression of the cognitive and functional decline that are the hallmarks of this progressive brain disease. Lilly also announced at the meeting that Donanemab has been submitted to the FDA, and an approval decision is expected before the end of the year.
We are now entering an era of new approaches to managing Alzheimer's disease. The key for this type of medication will be getting diagnosed early in the process of Alzheimer's, when the dementia is still mild, or even when at the stage called mild cognitive impairment. Fortunately, the ability to diagnose Alzheimer's disease early and more accurately is also rapidly changing. This type of treatment will require specific testing before it is prescribed. We are rapidly progressing in this field, and it is exciting to know that options for slowing Alzheimer's disease are becoming available.
We are proud to have been a part of this important study at Missouri Memory Center and CMH Research Department. We wish to thank all our patients and their family members who participated in this study. It was my honor and privilege to be here in Amsterdam to see the presentation of these exciting results.
Missouri Memory Center at CMH continues to provide specialty care to people in our region with memory concerns, including Alzheimer's disease. CMH Research Department has opportunities for patients interested in participating in clinical trials that are studying new treatments for Alzheimer's disease.”
Eli Lilly and Company previously announced that Donanemab met the primary and all cognitive and functional secondary endpoints in the Phase 3 study. Submission to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for traditional approval was completed last quarter. Approval for the Alzheimer's disease drug is expected by the end of the year.
For more information about CMH Neurology & Headache Center, Missouri Memory Center or the CMH Research Department, call 417-328-7781 or email kasie.atchison@citizensmemorial.com.