LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — A Kentucky patient in clinical trials of a 'promising' new Alzheimer's drug at UK's Sanders-Brown Center on Aging says the FDA's recent full approval of the medicine is one of the reasons he participated.
Jim and his wife Sharon Jackson have traveled a little over an hour to UK's Sanders-Brown Center on Aging for more than 18 months.
Together they decided to be a part of the study as Jim, who is also a medical doctor, recognized symptoms of early memory loss.
"I felt that it was really a good opportunity to be part of something that can improve life for many people. I think that's the basic thing that we're looking at and being a physician myself, I've come to realize that's the important thing. Improving life for everything. This happens to be one of the ways that has ended up impacting me... significantly," said Jim Jackson. "That's what all of this is about, trying to help with quality of life. Just the basics."
The pair says the study required them to travel to UK every two weeks for memory question, one-hour infusion with a wait period for observation, and sometimes a blood draw.
"We call it the long day," said Sharon Jackson.
Dr. Greg Jicha, director of clinical trials for Saunders-Brown, says the FDA's approval means more people will have the opportunity to use the medicine.
"Now we can really begin to put it into motion, new ways to help our patients with Alzheimer's," said Jicha.
Jicha says the innovative drug called Leqembi has proved to help people slow the progression of Alzheimer's by 27-40% in clinical trials. Now, researchers are going to look at combining medicines with the drug in clinical trials for better results.
"I wish it were a cure. We're not there yet, but this is the first medicine ever that actually changes the disease in the brain, removes a component of the disease and can improve quality of life for patients who are developing and who are in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease," said Jicha.
Jicha describes Lecanemab (Leqembi), as an antibody made by a pharmaceutical plant that directly binds to and allows the brain to remove the amyloid building up in a patient with Alzheimer's in the early or mild stage.
"At the heart of this is an early buildup of amyloid and that's really turned into what we call the amyloid hypothesis of Alzheimer's disease so the thought process has been if we can get rid of that amyloid then we should be able to slow or stop Alzheimer's disease."
The drug averages out at $26,500 a year but Jicha says much of the cost is covered by Medicare and some other insurers.
Three patients have died during clinical trials.
Jackson says he hasn't noticed any side effects and would recommend the treatment to his patients.
