Aducanumab, a new drug to treat Alzheimer’s disease was recently given accelerated approval by the United States Food and Drug Administration.
Developed by the US biotechnology company Biogen, aducanumab which will be commercially known as Aduhelm is first ever drug that targets the underlying cause of Alzheimer’s disease.
Aducanumab is an antibody which targets and lowers a toxic protein in the brain called beta amyloid.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration, the Australian drug regulator is yet to approve Aducanumab and it is unlikely for there to be an outcome until 2022.
Despite the support for the drug, some of the clinical trials did show mixed results. Although trials suggested the drug could successfully lower levels of beta of beta amyloid, this didn’t necessarily cause patients’ memory or behaviour to improve in some of the trials.
The approval of aducanumab is a step in the right direction and paving the way for more effective drugs to be made available in the near future and we are extremely proud to be a part of the trials that lead to this approval!
More information about aducanumab can be accessed by calling 1800 852 289 or emailing Medinfo-aunz@biogen.com.
