Emerging Technologies in Healthcare #3: Lecanemab for Alzheimer’s Disease: Hype or Hope?

Alzheimer’s disease is a debilitating condition that severely impacts not just the quantity but also the quality of life of patients and their families. Despite decades of research, most clinical trials of Alzheimer’s drugs, including anti-amyloid antibodies, failed to improve cognitive symptoms. However, recently Eisai and Biogen announced positive results from the phase 3 trial of lecanemab, a monoclonal antibody targeting amyloid-beta. On the face of it, it seems like Biogen and Eisai were finally able to develop the first truly disease-modifying therapy for Alzheimer’s. However, in reality, that may not be the full story. Is lecanemab really effective and what are the concerns around it? What makes it different from all other anti-amyloid drugs that failed in clinical trials?