Alzheimer's drug Aduhelm discontinued, to be replaced by Leqembi

Priced at no less than $56,000 per year, Biogen's Aduhelm was advertised as the first drug capable of treating the cognitive decline caused by this terrible disease. Sadly, it has just been withdrawn from the market by its makers, but it will have a replacement, namely Leqembi.

According to Biogen's news release, the company "is reprioritizing resources to build a leading franchise to address the multiple pathologies of the disease and patient needs." However, Aduhelm was surrounded by controversy after the FDA awarded it accelerated approval while overruling the agency's independent advisors. Based on the work of these researchers contracted by the FDA, there was not enough evidence of the drug's benefits.

In addition to the above, US congressional investigators also said that Aduhelm's accelerated approval was "rife with irregularities" and highlighted that Biogen saw this drug as a massive financial opportunity, forecasting a peak revenue of $18 billion per year.

Aduhelm's successor Leqembi, co-manufactured by Biogen and Japanese company Eisai, has a similar action by targeting amyloid beta. As proven so far, it achieves moderate results in reducing the cognitive decline in early-stage Alzheimer's. For now, this is sadly the only treatment for the disease approved in the US.

An alternative to Biogen's drug promises to be Donanemab, developed by Eli Lilly and currently undergoing trials. However, it looks like Donanemab proved to be more efficient than Leqembi already. Sadly, those interested in it should wait for FDA's green light or try to join the trials.

Those who want to find out more about Alzheimer's in a book that combines science with a personal experience can do so by reading Sandeep Jauhar's My Father's Brain: Life in the Shadow of Alzheimer's.