A recently published report has raised new concerns about the ineffectiveness of “breakthrough” Alzheimer’s drugs.
According to the findings reported by the researchers BBCThese drugs are unlikely to benefit patients, arguing that while the drugs successfully clear plaque or slow cognitive decline, the clinical benefit to the patient is “well below” the threshold to be noticeable in daily life.
The main conflict is between researchers who see these drugs as a “milestone” in slowing Alzheimer’s and independent analysts, notably the Cochrane Collaboration, who believe in the insufficiently productive results demonstrated by the drugs.
The Cochrane Collaboration came to this conclusion after analyzing studies involving more than 20,000 volunteers.
The review also highlights other shortcomings related to the high cost and financial burden of these drugs. The use of these medications may also lead to possible swelling and bleeding in the brain.
Furthermore, the need for infusions every 2–4 weeks cannot be ruled out, leading to high financial costs.
The NHS does not currently fund these treatments due to the high cost-to-benefit ratio. The 18-month course costs around £90,000, making it inaccessible to the general public.
“I would tell them, I think you probably won’t get any benefit from these drugs and they are a burden to you and your family,” said Professor Ado Richard, professor of neurology at Radboud University Medical Center in the Netherlands, one of the report’s authors.
Professor Robert Howard at University College London (UCL) said it is “unfortunate and unfair to families affected by dementia” that these drugs have been promoted in a way that is ‘not supported by strong science and will create false expectations.’
On the other hand, the findings were also reacted to by the scientific community, who called the report “deeply flawed”.
According to Professor Bart de Strupper of the UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, the recent review does not clarify doubts about the drugs, in fact, it deepens doubts, undermining recent progress.
The breakthrough drugs, which are the first in history to slow the disease, use engineered antibodies to identify and clear beta amyloid, a protein that builds up between brain cells in Alzheimer’s patients.
