New study suggests Alzheimer’s drug may delay symptom

A new study provides the first evidence that removing beta-amyloid plaques from the brain using a biologic drug may delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease in high-risk individuals.

Researchers tested gantenerumab in people with genetic mutations that almost guarantee they will develop the disease. Among 22 participants who took the drug for an average of eight years before symptoms appeared, the risk of developing Alzheimer’s was cut nearly in half.

Though the findings, published in Lancet Neurology, are promising, experts caution the study lacked a placebo group and had a small sample size. The long-running Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer’s Network (DIAN) study, which began in 2008, now faces potential funding cuts, jeopardizing continued research.

Participants fear losing access to treatment, raising concerns about the future of Alzheimer’s drug development. Researchers stress that maintaining this study is crucial to understanding the long-term effects of amyloid-lowering therapies.