BOISE, Idaho — With this week's full FDA approval of the drug Leqembi, local physicians say it’s not a cure for dementia, but it is a step in the right direction for Alzheimer’s treatments.
”It also is the first drug to show some mild improvement in clinical symptoms. Meaning, there is a slowing of the progression of the disease,” says Kara Kuntz, MD, Saint Alphonsus.
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Idaho’s Alzheimer’s Association educates our community on the importance of early dementia detection so that a drug like Leqembi may be effective.
“Dementia is not just signs of aging, there is a difference, these treatments are only for early diagnosis, that is why we really strive to push awareness out into the community,” says Alix Hilton, Executive Director of Idaho’s Alzheimer’s Association.
Saint Alphonsus is developing a memory center to address the growing need for Alzheimer’s disease and memory care concerns in the valley.
”Early detection can be complicated because there’s a lot of nuances to it. So having a multiple-disciplinary team like we're developing here that involves neurology, geriatrics, geropsychiatry, neuropsychology, pharmacy, social work, is really helpful to get the diagnosis right,” says Kuntz.
Idaho’s Alzheimer’s Association’s work in the community has helped fund research for treatments such as Leqembi.
“I think it’s amazing that Idaho played a part in this, we should be very proud of what we have achieved, whether that is our community partners, our sponsorships for our Walk to End Alzheimer’s,” says Hilton.
Saint Alphonsus and the Alzheimer’s Association still feel there is a lot of work to be done in dementia research.
“It’s not even a major game changer in terms of changing the life of somebody living with the disease. It may help some, I’m really hopeful for that,” says Kuntz.
Dr. Kuntz agrees this is an exciting new era in dementia treatments, but the time and energy used on this drug may be better spent on prevention efforts like sleeping well and exercising often.
