Alzheimer's Drug Approved

The Food and Drug Administration yesterday greenlighted a new drug for adult patients with early or mild, the third drug to be approved in the US for its ability to delay cognitive decline in patients. The drug from Eli Lilly—called donanemab and marketed under the brand name Kisunla—slowed cognitive decline in clinical trial patients by 35% compared to a placebo.

Donanemab's approval comes a month after an FDA advisory panel unanimously endorsed the drug, citing its benefits outweighed risks, such as swelling and bleeding in the brain. Eli Lilly's drug joins Eisai and Biogen's Leqembi as antibody-based treatments designed to clear the buildup of toxic beta-amyloid proteins in the brain. The proteins have been considered a hallmark of Alzheimer's—a theory that has been called into question. (Another previously approved drug by Biogen was discontinued in January.)

Nearly 7 million Americans have Alzheimer's. See more data on the disease here. Watch an overview of how it works here.