FDA approves donanemab, Eli Lillys treatment for early Alzheimers disease – Boston News, Weather, Sports [Video]

The US Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday approved donanemab, a monoclonal antibody designed to slow the progression of early symptomatic Alzheimer’s disease.

Donanemab, made by Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly, works by helping the body remove amyloid plaque buildup in the brain, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease.

Lilly said it will be sold under the name Kisunla and would cost $695 per vial before insurance, what would amount to $12,522 for a six-month course or about $32,000 for a year, depending on when the patient would complete their treatment.

Donanemab is not a cure, but clinical trials showed that it slowed the progression of Alzheimer’s, allowing people to live independent lives for longer and safely participate in everyday activities.

Lilly told a committee of FDA advisers in June that late-stage clinical research datashowed “highly meaningful results” for people who took donanemab, with about 35% lower risk of progression of the disease over a year and a half compared with those who got a placebo. …