The Medical Letter on Drugs and Therapeutics
FROM
ISSUE
1629
Addendum: Aducanumab (Aduhelm) for Alzheimer's Disease
Download PDF:   US English
Med Lett Drugs Ther. 2021 Jul 26;63(1629):120
Disclosures
Principal Faculty
  • Mark Abramowicz, M.D., President: no disclosure or potential conflict of interest to report
  • Jean-Marie Pflomm, Pharm.D., Editor in Chief: no disclosure or potential conflict of interest to report
  • Brinda M. Shah, Pharm.D., Consulting Editor: no disclosure or potential conflict of interest to report
Objective(s)
Upon completion of this activity, the participant will be able to:
  1. Review the efficacy and safety of aducanumab (Aduhelm) for treatment of Alzheimer's disease
 Select a term to see related articles     aducanumab   Aduhelm   Alzheimer's disease 

In June 2021, the FDA approved the IV amyloid beta-directed monoclonal antibody aducanumab (Aduhelm) for treatment of Alzheimer's disease. The approval did not restrict use of the drug to patients with mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia, which was the population enrolled in the clinical trials. Now, Biogen, with the permission of the FDA, has made an addition to the labeling of the drug that says: Treatment with Aduhelm should be initiated in patients with mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia stage of disease, the population in which treatment was initiated in clinical trials. There are no safety or effectiveness data on initiating treatment at earlier or later stages of the disease than were studied.

As we said in our article (Med Lett Drugs Ther 2021; 63:105), aducanumab was approved based on evidence that it reduces amyloid beta plaques in the brains of patients with mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia due to Alzheimer's disease. Whether it improves clinical outcomes remains to be established.

© The Medical Letter, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
The Medical Letter, Inc. does not warrant that all the material in this publication is accurate and complete in every respect. The Medical Letter, Inc. and its editors shall not be held responsible for any damage resulting from any error, inaccuracy, or omission.
This article has been freely provided.
arrow to previous article
arrow to next article