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Insight and Health

The truth about the new class of Alzheimer’s drugs

Three drugs approved for Alzheimer’s disease have been hailed as a breakthrough in treating the condition – how effective are they, and what risks and side effects do they come with?

By Grace Wade

30 July 2024

Illustration of amyloid plaques (orange) among brain cells

Science Photo Library/Alamy

In early July, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a treatment called donanemab for people with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease. It is the second drug shown to slow the condition’s progression, and the third FDA-authorised medication that clears the amyloid proteins that accumulate in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s.

The FDA’s approval of three new drugs – donanemab, lecanemab and aducanumab – in just over three years has led some to declare a leap forward in Alzheimer’s disease treatment. Japan, South Korea, China,…

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