MINNEAPOLIS — An announcement by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) this week is creating its own form of fireworks for families affected by Alzheimer’s disease.
On Tuesday, the FDA announced its long-awaited approval of the Eli Lilly drug, donanemab. Trials have shown the drug – which will be sold under the brand name Kisunla – slowed the progression of Alzheimer’s disease by 35% by attacking what’s considered a hallmark of the disease: protein in the brain called amyloid plaque.
And despite potentially life-threatening side effects – which include brain swelling and brain bleeding – Alzheimer’s family advocates in Minnesota and throughout the country welcome the development.
“It just continues to mean hope,” said Kanada Yazbek of Ramsey, Minnesota.
Yazbek – who was named 2024 Advocate of the Year by the Alzheimer’s Impact Movement – was diagnosed with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) at only age 41 and is the seventh member of her extended family to be diagnosed with MCI or Alzheimer’s disease. Yazbek told KARE 11’s Karla Hult announcements like these give concrete hope to families like hers.
“When we had the last drug approval, we hadn’t had something for 30 years, and we get that drug approval, and my 12-year-old is like, ‘Does that mean you’re going to live longer?’ And that’s exactly what it means. It means people are not only going to live longer with these diseases but have a better quality of life, too,” Yazbek said on Wednesday, which was also her 50th birthday.
Experts have often noted that the ultimate treatment of Alzheimer’s may well be a “cocktail” of medicines, not unlike how HIV/AIDS is treated today. Given that, advocates believe donanemab – and the related class of drugs – may be one piece of the greater puzzle.
To learn more about the Alzheimer’s Association and other resources available for those living with Alzheimer’s and other dementia, click here.
NOTE: KARE 11’s Karla Hult is herself a fierce fighter for families affected by Alzheimer’s and other dementia through So Many Goodbyes, which she founded after losing her own dad to the disease in 2019.
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