PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — Small clues begin to show up as you age. Sometimes it’s a shift in mental acuity that comes with the aging process. Many times though, it can be more serious. Forgetfulness, short or long term memory changes. These are often signs or early indications of Alzheimer’s disease.
A new drug recently launched by Eli Lily is offering hope to patients who are able to detect the early signs of Alzheimer's.
“Not everyone with Alzheimer’s disease is appropriate for this,” Dr. Thomas Hammond, with the Marcus Neuroscience Institute at Baptist Health in Boca Raton, said. “The fact is, this is for very early stages of Alzheimer's. That’s where these drugs are useful. It’s for patients early in the disease process."
Like many of his colleagues, Hammond said he was closely watching the clinical trials of this new drug called donanemab, sold under the brand name Kisunla. The drug is a monoclonal antibody infusion given every four weeks.
“The dramatic thing about this drug is over the course of the year of infusions, the amyloid in brains measured by pet scan has gone from a large amount down to nothing,” Hammond said.
Amyloid in the brain is considered a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease. It’s the reason Hammond said detecting the symptoms quickly before amyloid build-up occurs is crucial.
“It’s estimated within the population of people who are developing cognitive decline, probably only 15% of people are going to be qualified for these drugs," Hammond said. "It’s relatively small percentage, because of the degree of disease they have already.”
Some of the signs Hammond and other specialists in his field recommend watching for include:
- Trouble focusing on everyday tasks
- Repeating stories or repeating questions
- Personality changes like anxiety, confusion, suspicion or fear
- Apathetic approach to life
- Communication problems like struggling with names or location of routine appointments
Hammond recommends seeing your family physician right away if any of those symptoms persist.
