Medical treatment of Alzheimer’s disease: Regenerative

Therapeutic approaches to AD can be divided into three categories: symptomatic, disease-modifying and regenerative. In 2021, aducanumab received accelerated US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for the treatment of AD.² In 2023, lecanemab received accelerated FDA approval for the treatment of AD, which was later converted to traditional approval.^2,3 However, in August 2023, these therapies were the only two drugs to have been approved since 2003.^2-4

References:
1. Fish PV, Steadman D, Bayle ED, Whiting P. New approaches for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2019; 29 (2): 125–133.

2. Cummings J, Zhou Y, Lee G, et al. Alzheimer’s disease drug development pipeline: 2023. Alzheimers Dement (N Y) 2023; 9 (2): e12385.

3. FDA press release 6 July 2023. FDA converts novel Alzheimer’s disease treatment to traditional approval. Available at: https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-converts-novel-alzheimers-disease-treatment-traditional-approval. Accessed 9 August 2023.

4. FDA press release 7 June 2021. FDA’s decision to approve new treatment for Alzheimer’s disease. Available at: https://www.fda.gov/drugs/news-events-human-drugs/fdas-decision-approve-new-treatment-alzheimers-disease. Accessed 9 August 2023.