A new drug could stop Alzheimer's disease before symptoms appear, offering hope to millions. Around 1,600 people at high risk of the condition will be offered the medication in a landmark trial that scientists have described as a "game changer".
How Trontinemab Works
Trontinemab, administered as a monthly infusion, removes toxic plaques that cause the degenerative disease. It is believed to enter the central nervous system more efficiently than older treatments. The trial will investigate whether the drug can stop or completely prevent Alzheimer's.
Manufactured by Swiss pharmaceutical firm Roche, trontinemab is a next-generation version of lecanemab and donanemab—drugs shown to slow cognitive decline by 27% and 35%, respectively.
Trial Details
People aged 55 and over who are at high risk of Alzheimer's will be eligible. Scientists will use blood tests to identify those with elevated levels of biomarker p-tau217, which is linked to the disease. The international trial will involve around 1,600 participants.
Dr. Rachel Buckley, associate professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School, told an event organized by the Women's Alzheimer's Movement that the new treatments being trialled are "wonderful". She added: "If these trials are positive, the game changes."
Reduced Side Effects
Although lecanemab and donanemab caused brain bleeds in one in four patients, studies show that trontinemab causes this complication less often. It is hoped the next-generation medication will require less monitoring and reduce costs.
Expert Reactions
Hilary Evans-Newton, chief executive of Alzheimer's Research UK, said: "The science is advancing rapidly, and every new discovery brings us closer to a future where diseases can be identified and treated much earlier." She added that over the next five to 10 years, we will see a transformation in what's possible, including the prospect of treatments that help protect brain health before symptoms progress—the concept of a 'statin for the brain'.
Dr. Jacqui Hanley, head of research funding at Alzheimer's Research UK, said the trial marks an "important shift" in research, focusing on "people who already have symptoms towards finding those most at risk and seeing whether treatment can delay, or perhaps one day prevent symptoms developing". She added: "It raises the exciting possibility that Alzheimer's could eventually be treated preventively, in a similar way to using medicines to reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes."
