The European Commission announced on Wednesday, April 16 that it formally authorized the treatment aimed at reducing the cognitive decline in some people suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, after the green light of the European Medicines Agency.
The authorization of this treatment, marketed under the name of Leqembi, was granted this Tuesday and is based on the scientific analysis of the EMA “that concluded that the profits of this medicine were higher than the risks,” said the commission in a press release.
Seven dead in the United States
At the end of 2024, the European regulator had recommended granting an authorization to market the Leqembi (Lécanemab) for “the treatment of cognitive light disorders (memory and thought disorders) or light dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease (Alzheimer’s disease at the early stage)”.
She had specified that this green light was only valid for patients with a lower risk of potential cerebral hemorrhage, that is, those who have “only one or any copy of the APOE4 gene”, a type of gene known as a significant risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease.
The Leqembi, developed by the Japanese Pharmaceutical Laboratory EISAI and the American Biogen manufacturer, was authorized in January 2023 in the United States for patients who did not reach an advanced stage of the disease. In this country, this treatment left seven dead and three other disabled patients, after undesirable effects. It is also marketed in Japan and China.
Despite the decades of research, scientists have not yet achieved a real advance in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease, affecting dozens of millions of people worldwide.
Source: BFM TV
