Services
Providers
Services
FDA approves Kisunla (donanemab), CMH patients take part in FDA-approved drug trial
Alzheimer’s disease patients now have another medication option that may help slow the progression of the disease, and Citizens Memorial Hospital (CMH) patients played a role in the drug’s approval.
The Food and Drug Administration approved Kisunla (donanemab) July 2 for the treatment of early-stage Alzheimer's disease.
Kisunla (donanemab) is the first FDA-approved drug for which patients at CMH in Bolivar, Missouri, participated in the clinical research trial that led to FDA approval. Through Missouri Memory Center and CMH Research Department, 15 patients have participated in clinical research studies for the drug since March 2021.
“This is the second drug treatment for Alzheimer’s disease that the FDA has approved in less than a year,” said Curtis P. Schreiber, M.D., board-certified neurologist and medical director of Missouri Memory Center and CMH Research Department in Bolivar. “What makes this drug approval even more exciting is that we had, and still have, patients at Missouri Memory Center who participated in the clinical research study. Their participation helped provide the necessary evidence that the drug is effective in significantly slowing cognitive and functional decline in patients with early symptomatic Alzheimer’s disease.”
Eli Lilly and Company International filed for FDA approval last year. The company presented full study results at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Amsterdam, Netherlands, in July 2023.
“We are rapidly progressing in the field of Alzheimer’s testing and treatment, and it is exciting to have yet another option for slowing the progression of Alzheimer’s disease,” said Dr. Schreiber. “With the availability of these drugs, it is even more important to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease early.”
Free cognitive screenings are available on the third Friday of every month at Missouri Memory Center in Bolivar. Call 417-327-3530 for more information or to schedule an appointment.
The Missouri Memory Center at CMH continues to provide specialized care to people in our region with memory concerns, including Alzheimer’s disease. The CMH Research Department has opportunities for patients interested in participating in clinical trials studying new treatments for Alzheimer’s disease.
For more information about the CMH Neurology & Headache Center, Missouri Memory Center or CMH Research Department, call 417-328-7781 or email cmhresearch@citizensmemorial.com. For more information about Lilly’s Kisunla, visit https://bit.ly/3W8ixxe.
