Aducanumab is a drug developed for Alzheimer’s disease by neuroscientists and pharmaceutical doctors. Many reactions accompanied this drug after being approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. Some experts considered aducanumab Alzheimer’s drug a massive advance in neuroscience, and some were against it. Now which of these groups thinks right? To answer this question, stay with the Neuroscience Network to learn about this drug and check all the points.

How does aducanumab treat Alzheimer’s?

Alzheimer’s disease, which we are all familiar with, is caused by two protein deposits in the brain. These two deposits are called amyloid plaques and tau. The drug aducanumab targets exactly these two plaques. This drug is like antibodies that attack amyloid plaques. Anadocanumab considers these plaques as viruses and acts to fight them. Aducanumab is known as the first Alzheimer’s drug and treats Alzheimer’s disease to clear plaques.

Phase III trials show that aducanumab can destroy plaques. The test indicated that this drug reduces 55-60% of the plaques in the patient’s brain. But there is a lot of debate about whether removing amyloid plaques is beneficial for Alzheimer’s patients. Alzheimer’s disease is very complicated, and there are countless discussions about aducanumab. To better understand aducanumab, we must review the history and performance of scientists on this drug.

Review of all events and tests of this drug

During the trials of this drug, Biogen suddenly stopped the order and announced the continuation of tests and research. Biogen’s statisticians determined that aducanumab is like other drugs and no different from them. After eight months, this company started researching Alzheimer’s drugs again. Through successive tests, the researchers found that people with a high drug dose during this period had a successful outcome. A month later, Biogen began working with the FDA to review this complex data jointly.

In 2021, the FDA approved the drug aducanumab. This happened even though the advisory committee had advised against it. It should be noted that this drug has not been approved based on evidence of clinical benefit. Instead, it is approved based on evidence that it alters the biology of a disease in a way that is likely to have clinical use.

Who is this Alzheimer’s drug suitable for?

This drug can be dangerous for many people; on the other hand, it can benefit many others. Alzheimer’s medications can be suitable for those who have mild differences. But for people who are severely affected by Alzheimer’s, it may not be beneficial. In addition to the severity of the disease, doctors conduct research on the patient before prescribing this medicine. Before any activity, doctors check whether the patient has amyloid plaque.

Scanning tests are needed to detect amyloid plaques. These tests can image plaques in the brain and are very suitable for detecting amyloid plaques. But the costs of these scans are a big problem, and they cannot be easily accessed. For a more affordable option, you can choose spinal fluid tests, which are less expensive than these scans.

Side effects of aducanumab

Alzheimer’s drug has many side effects in addition to its benefits. Cerebral swelling and bleeding are examples of aducanumab side effects. These two complications can be minor; swelling is reversible, and brain hemorrhages are tiny. Most people with brain swelling and bleeding have no symptoms and only experience mild dizziness.

But aducanumab can have bigger side effects that are extremely unlikely. Seizures and stroke episodes are examples of more severe effects of Alzheimer’s drugs. Less than 1% of people treated with aducanumab in trials showed these symptoms.

Symptoms may come to you after taking Alzheimer’s drugs. The good news is that you can manage these symptoms. To eliminate the symptoms of this drug, it is necessary to stop taking it. After the symptoms disappear, the patient can start retaking this medicine. It should be noted that the use of Alzheimer’s drugs should be done in consultation with a doctor, and your doctor prescribes this drug.

Aducanumab can be a step toward success!

Aducanumab drug can be a stepping stone for more excellent neuroscience and disease treatment advances. In the next few years, as the results of more clinical trials are published, Alzheimer’s drugs can be more effective. All therapeutic medicines follow this path, and Adacanumab is the same way. We also hope that Alzheimer’s disease will be cured entirely as soon as possible and help many people worldwide.