A group of independent advisers to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have voted to support regulatory approval of the Alzheimer’s drug Leqembi, also known by its generic name lecanemab, despite concerns surrounding three deaths during clinical trials.
The six members on the Peripheral and Central Nervous System Drugs Advisory Committee on Friday all voted in favor of the FDA granting full approval to Leqembi to treat Alzheimer’s, saying the drug shows a clinical benefit in patients with mild cognitive impairment or early dementia caused by Alzheimer’s.
Alzheimer’s is a progressive brain disease that causes a range of cognitive impairments, including memory loss. Later in the disease, a person may lose the ability to have conversations, respond to the environment, and carry out daily tasks. The disease affects 6 million Americans, according to the Alzheimer’s Association….