Skip to main content

Donanemab Slows Clinical Progression in Early Alzheimer Disease

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com.

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, July 17, 2023 -- Donanemab slows clinical progression among participants with early symptomatic Alzheimer disease and amyloid and tau pathology, according to a study published online July 17 in the Journal of the American Medical Association to coincide with the annual Alzheimer's Association International Conference, held from July 16 to 20 in Amsterdam.

John R. Sims, M.D., from Eli Lilly and Company in Indianapolis, and colleagues examined the efficacy and adverse events of donanemab, an antibody designed to clear brain amyloid plaque, in a multicenter randomized 18-month trial involving 1,736 participants with early symptomatic Alzheimer disease with amyloid and low/medium or high tau pathology. Participants were randomly assigned to receive donanemab or placebo every four weeks for 72 weeks (860 and 876, participants, respectively); 76 percent completed the trial.

The researchers found that 23 of the 24 gated outcomes were statistically significant. The least-squares mean (LSM) change in the integrated Alzheimer Disease Rating Scale score at 76 weeks was −6.02 and −9.27, respectively, in the donanemab and placebo groups in the low-medium tau population, and −10.2 and −13.1, respectively, in the combined population. At 76 weeks, the LSM change in the sum of boxes of the Clinical Dementia Rating Scale score was 1.20 and 1.88, respectively, with donanemab and placebo in the low/medium tau population and 1.72 and 2.42, respectively, in the combined population.

"Among participants with early symptomatic Alzheimer disease and amyloid and tau pathology, donanemab significantly slowed clinical progression at 76 weeks in those with low/medium tau and in the combined low/medium and high tau pathology population," the authors write.

Several authors disclosed ties to pharmaceutical companies, including Eli Lilly, which manufactures donanemab and funded the study.

Abstract/Full Text

Editorial 1

Editorial 2

Editorial 3

Editorial 4

More Information

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Read this next

Half of Native Americans Older Than 70 Years May Have Cognitive Impairment

FRIDAY, May 17, 2024 -- More than half of Native Americans aged 70 years and older have cognitive impairment, according to a study published online May 15 in Alzheimer's...

Individual Ability to Be Mobile in Community Tied to Cognitive Function

WEDNESDAY, May 15, 2024 -- Community mobility is significantly associated with cognitive function in older adults, according to a study published online May 15 in the Journal...

Higher Olive Oil Intake Tied to Lower Risk for Dementia-Related Death

WEDNESDAY, May 8, 2024 -- Higher olive oil intake is associated with a lower risk for dementia-related mortality in U.S. adults, according to a study published online May 6...

More news resources

Subscribe to our newsletter

Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.