First new treatment for Alzheimer's disease approved in nearly two decades offers hope for people living with dementia
Alzheimer Society of Canada calls for more investment in dementia research
TORONTO, June 7, 2021 /CNW/ - The Alzheimer Society of Canada is hopeful about the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) approval of aducanumab, a new treatment for Alzheimer's disease. This news represents an important step forward for people living with Alzheimer's disease. The FDA requires that Biogen complete an additional clinical trial to verify the drug's benefit. If the trial fails to verify the clinical benefit, the FDA may initiate proceedings to withdraw approval. For aducanumab to be available in Canada, the drug will require regulatory approval by Health Canada to ensure its safety and efficacy. The Alzheimer Society of Canada is urging Health Canada to complete its required reviews swiftly, while maintaining the highest safety standards, so that aducanumab can be made available as quickly as possible to people living with dementia in Canada.
While this approval is encouraging, aducanumab is not suitable for all people at all stages of dementia. The drug may slow the decline in cognitive skills and functional ability in people living with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) or in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease. Aducanumab is reported to work by clearing harmful amyloid beta that builds up in the brain, which is thought to result in Alzheimer's disease.
"Over the next 10 years, we anticipate that more than one million people in Canada will be living with dementia. The approval of aducanumab underscores how investing in research can lead to better treatment options, but the drug is just one treatment," says Dr. Saskia Sivananthan, Chief Science Officer, Alzheimer Society of Canada. "Research for Alzheimer's disease and other dementias is significantly under-funded when compared to other diseases. There is an urgent need to invest in dementia research to provide people living with the disease new and better treatments. Most importantly, research investment is crucial to finding cures for Alzheimer's disease and other dementias."
The Alzheimer Society of Canada is committed to funding innovative dementia research focused on prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and finding cures for Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. To learn more, visit www.alzheimer.ca.
About the Alzheimer Society
The Alzheimer Society is Canada's leading nationwide health charity for people living with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. Active in communities across Canada, the Society provides information, programs and services to those living with a diagnosis and their caregivers. The Alzheimer Society Research Program is Canada's leading funder of research into better understanding the causes of dementia, improving treatment and care, and towards finding cures.
SOURCE Alzheimer Society of Canada
