Kisunla, an FDA-approved drug made by Eli Lilly, can slow brain deterioration in the early stages of the disease.
HOUSTON — There’s some good news for patients in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease and their families: The FDA has approved a new drug that may slow the progression of the deadly disease.
The drug is still expensive, even though it’s covered by Medicare, but it could give hope and more time.
“At the end of the day, I miss my mom, you know?” Katherine Fillmore said.
It’s been four years since Fillmore received the news many families dread.
“I don’t want anyone to get this disease,” she told us.
Her mother, Amelia, has Alzheimer’s disease, and she and her father have been her caregivers, watching her slowly decline.
“I’m just enjoying as much time as I can with her while she still remembers me,” Fillmore said.
Families like hers across the country have been waiting for new treatments, and this week the FDA got their wish when it approved a new drug from Eli Lilly and Co. called donanemab, which will be sold under the brand name Kisunla.
“This is extremely important for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease,” said Dr. Joseph Masudiu.
RELATED: Alzheimer’s Disease Breakthrough: FDA Approves New Treatment Targeting Brain Plaques
Masudiu, director of the Nantz National Alzheimer’s Disease Center at Houston Methodist Hospital, said that for decades there were only drugs to treat symptoms, but donanemab is now the second drug on the market that can slow the progression of the disease.
“We’ve already received numerous calls from people interested in exploring the possibility of treating them with this drug,” Masudiu said.
This new treatment is only an effective option for patients in the early stages of Alzheimer’s, which means unfortunately, it’s too late for it to benefit Fillmore’s mother.
“Do I wish this drug had been available five years ago? Absolutely,” Fillmore said. “This isn’t my story, but I wish it was somebody else’s story.”
It gives her hope for the future, and hope for families just beginning their own battles with Alzheimer’s, and doctors hope it will encourage even more people to seek out early diagnosis.
“The earlier the disease is detected, the more we can do to improve quality of life with the disease or at least slow the progression of symptoms,” said Dr. Carlos Julian Martinez Menendez, a behavioral neuroscientist at the University of Texas Health Science Center.
If you have questions or need information, local resources or assistance, help is available free of charge through the Alzheimer’s Association. Their 24/7 helpline is 800-272-3900.
