FDA approves new Alzheimers treatment that slows decline in memory [Video]

The Food and Drug Administration approved a new Alzheimer’s drug from Eli Lilly that has been shown in clinical trials to modestly slow a decline in memory and thinking abilities in people with the disease, the drugmaker said Tuesday.

The drug donanemab, which will be sold under the brand name Kisunla, is a monoclonal antibody infusion given every four weeks.

The FDA cleared the drug for use in adults with mild cognitive impairment or early Alzheimer’s disease, the drugmaker said. Kisunla works by targeting amyloid in the brain, considered a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease.

The approval is significant because it adds another treatment option for the devastating disease, said Dr. Ronald Petersen, a neurologist at the Mayo Clinic. Last summer, the FDA granted full approval to a similar drug called Leqembi.

“It will give clinicians and patients a choice,” Petersen said.

An estimated 6.7 million Americans ages 65 and older were living with Alzheimer’s in 2023, according …