ADDF Statement on New Lancet Neurology Study Showing Early Anti-Amyloid Treatment may Prevent Alzheimer’s

NEW YORK – MARCH 20 – A recent study led by Dr. Randall J. Bateman, the Charles F. and Joanne Knight Distinguished Professor of Neurology at WashU Medicine shows that early intervention with anti-amyloid drugs may reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s in people destined to develop Alzheimer’s disease in their 30s, 40s and 50s. Published in The Lancet Neurology on March 19, the international study involved 73 individuals carrying a rare genetic mutation that typically leads to early-onset Alzheimer’s. Notably 22 participants who began treatment before showing cognitive symptoms and received the drug for an average of 8 years, the risk of developing dementia was reduced to nearly 100% to 50%. These promising findings suggest early removal of the plaques before symptoms arise may delay or prevent the onset of AD.

“We’ve entered into a new era of Alzheimer’s research where we can not only modify the course of the disease, but where prevention is possible with therapeutic intervention,” said Howard Fillit, MD, Co-Founder and Chief Science Officer at the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF). “This study shows for the first time that early treatment to clear the plaques before symptoms arise can delay the onset of Alzheimer’s, similar to how we treat and prevent other chronic diseases. This opens the door for further exploration of treating preclinical Alzheimer’s, and we look forward to seeing the longitudinal data as well as further studies around this approach. These efforts bring us one step closer to our ultimate goal of preventing the disease before it begins.”