Aducanumab: The Controversial New Drug Licensed to Treat Alzheimer’s Disease
Keywords:
Aducanumab, Alzheimer’s DiseaseAbstract
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Alzheimer’s Disease is a neurodegenerative condition that results in both cognitive and functional decline. It has a high prevalence in the developed world, accompanied by a large burden of disease.
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There are few treatment options for Alzheimer’s Disease which has led to a high interest in Aducanumab, a monoclonal antibody designed by Biogen Incorporated and Eisai Corporation Limited. It selectively targets the aggregated forms of β-amyloid and decreases plaques, which is a pathological feature of Alzheimer’s Disease.
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Trials of Aducanumab showed significant reductions in amyloid plaque (61%; p<0.0001] in PRIME, 59%; p<0.0001 in ENGAGE, 71%; p<0.0001 in EMERGE), but proved inconclusive when determining if there was any clinical benefit associated with this mechanism.
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These results, accompanied by various events in the history of this drug, namely its approval by the United States Food and Drug Administration through an accelerated pathway and the subsequent resignation of three panel members, has aroused controversy.
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