ALZHEIMERS NEWS-THE FDA DID THE RIGHT THING
IT GAVE US HOPE
medscape.com
aducanumab after getting fda approval has its new brand name
it is
aduhelm (aducanumab)
yesterday the fda did the right thing by approving it for use in early alzheimers since it shows that it may decrease cognitive decline in these patients by 22%
in the alzheimers world we will take 22%
the fda did the right thing like i thought they would
they gave it the accelerated approval pathway
basically used for drugs for untreatable diseases that may slow down the disease
not cure them but slow them down
then biogen will have to do a phase 4 study for probably 5 years to see how well it really works
by that time thousands will have gotten the drug
by then
we will know how well it works
if its doesnt work then it may be removed from the market
in 5 years there are drugs that will be here that work similarly to aduhelm that will probably work much better eg one may show 30%+ improvement in cognitive decline
so
each subsequent new drug will probably work much better than the last one
thats usually how drug treatment goes
like cholesterol like high blood pressure like diabetes etc
so
aduhelm is the inflection point for alzheimers treatment
it will be known as the one that started the alzheimers treatment movement that is on the way in the future
ive read all the negative reviews
i have elected now to turn them off
us in the alzheimers world will mostly do the same thing
the decision is made
now lets see how well it works
the cost will be around $4000+ a month or around $50,000+ a year
thats the cost of treatment for things like connective tissue diseases like rheumatoid arthirits or lupus or ulcerative colitis etc or cancer
you can only imagine the rush there will be for folks to gain access to this drug
there may not be enough neurologists enough infusion centers enough mri scanners to keep up with the demand
the side effects mentioned in the news and in the products package has not been a worry for those of us involved in the studies of aduhelm
allergic reactions
brain swelling and microbleeds
if you think about it this amyloid plaques has been in the brain for years
now the body will be removing them from the brain
the body and the brain is not going to like that happening
i think of it like a wound with a scab on it
you peel the scab off
the wound bleeds some then it heals
so it seems thats what may happen when the amyloid plaques are removed
yes it needs monitoring
the allergic reaction and the brain swelling and the microbleeds were risks and side effects that were explained to you
i signed several documents with those risks well described in them
i signed the documents without the blink of an eye
i never thought twice about it
my guess thats what those about to get these infusions of aduhelm will do also
not blink at all
remember what the choice is if you do nothing
its not good its fatal
mris of the brain will be done to monitor for these changes
all mine have been normal
those with the apoe 4 apoe4 gene like me are at higher risk
this drug aduhelm
give us in the alzheimers world one thing
some hope
you can see it and feel it as you read the alzheimers worlds social media postings
i can close my eyes and feel the vibes
now
it is important for folks to keep this drug in its proper perspective
it is not a cure
it is not for all azheimers patients
it is not for folks whose alzheimers has progressed too far
it is for folks with mild cognitive impairment due to alzheimers disease and those with early alzheimers
ie
it has to be given early in the disease to be effective
in fact
the stage you are in will determine if you meet the criteria to get the drug
lucky for me i fit that criteria
also lucky for me i have had 7 infusions of this drug and am being reevaluated for inclusion in a study for at least 2 years to get aduhelm in monthly infusions
one question i have not seen is how long one has to take this drug
since i know that the process that deposits the amyloid in the brain will continue
its like a boat with a hole in it
you may have to continuously remove all the water from the boat to keep it from sinking
for those who dont know i was in the biogen aducanumab study for about 25 weeks
i got 18 months of placebo and 7 months of aduhelm
it was suppose to be continued a year ago but it was delayed by the pandemic
the study i was in at ucla is being reactivated
if approved i may restart the infusions this summer
so
the fda did the right thing
it
gave
us
hope
hope we will take every time
the organicgreen doctor
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