Maximizing the benefit and managing the risk of anti-amyloid monoclonal antibody therapy for Alzheimer's disease: Strategies and research directions

Anti-amyloid monoclonal antibodies (MABs) have introduced a new era of Alzheimer's disease (AD) therapeutics with disease-targeted drugs. Three agents --- aducanumab, lecanemab, donanemab --- have been approved and others are in development. These agents are administered intravenously, once in the brain they activate microglia to engulf amyloid-beta protein fibrillar plaques. Each approved agent has a specific profile of administration, titration, amyloid target, and adverse events. In 18 month trials of participants with early AD (defined as mild cognitive impairment due to AD or mild AD dementia), anti-amyloid MABs slow cognitive and functional decline by approximately 30 ​%. Amyloid positron emission…

• AD
  Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation
• NI
  National Institute on Aging

  Award: R25AG083721-01
• NI
  National Institute of General Medical Sciences

  Award: P20GM109025