Stable First Administration to a Woman in Her 50s with Early-Stage Alzheimer’s Disease
Systematic Side Effect Monitoring System Established... Leading a Paradigm Shift in Treatment Environment
Uijeongbu Eulji University Hospital (Director Song Hyun) announced on the 26th that it has started prescribing the new drug Leqembi, which slows the progression of dementia.
Exterior view of Uijeongbu Eulji University Hospital. Provided by Uijeongbu Eulji University Hospital
This is the first time that a new drug to slow dementia has been officially prescribed in Uijeongbu.
According to Uijeongbu Eulji University Hospital, Professor Kim Hyung-ji’s neurology team at Uijeongbu Eulji University Hospital completed the first stable administration of Leqembi on the 19th to a female patient in her 50s who was diagnosed with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease.
The patient had been continuing her daily life while undergoing regular examinations and consultations as memory decline symptoms appeared.
However, as the symptoms gradually progressed, she entered the mild cognitive impairment stage caused by Alzheimer’s disease. Accordingly, the medical staff conducted consultations for the use of the new treatment and carried out systematic examinations for more than six months to establish a treatment plan necessary for medication.
In particular, after administering the drug stably through a 1-night, 2-day hospitalization and simultaneously monitoring for side effects, the patient was discharged.
The medical team plans to administer the drug to this patient every two weeks for a total of 18 months.
The new drug Leqembi used in the treatment is known as an antibody therapy that removes amyloid beta protein accumulated in the brain, thereby slowing disease progression.
Amyloid beta protein is one of the main factors causing Alzheimer’s disease.
According to international clinical trial results conducted over 18 months, 68% of patients who completed the treatment showed a change from positive to negative in amyloid beta protein, confirming that the drug effectively removes pathological proteins.
The disease progression speed, evaluated by the Clinical Dementia Rating-Sum of Boxes (CDR-SB), also decreased by an average of 27%, effectively delaying symptom worsening.
The indication for administration is patients with mild cognitive impairment to early dementia stage caused by Alzheimer’s disease.
However, various tests are required before administering Leqembi, and a thorough monitoring system must be established to prepare for possible side effects.
Basic tests before administration include cognitive function tests, brain MRI scans, and apolipoprotein gene testing.
Subsequently, PET-CT scans or cerebrospinal fluid tests are performed to confirm amyloid beta protein deposition, and treatment suitability is determined through collaboration among specialists in neurology, radiology, and nuclear medicine.
During or after administration, symptoms such as fever, headache, muscle pain, and vomiting may occur, and in some patients, brain hemorrhage and brain edema have been reported as major side effects.
In particular, symptoms related to administration are known to occur relatively frequently during early treatment, and regular MRI scans are recommended to check for side effects such as brain hemorrhage and brain edema.
Professor Kim Hyung-ji said, “While existing dementia treatments have effects in delaying the onset of late-stage dementia symptoms and alleviating symptoms with long-term use, the new amyloid-targeting antibody therapy has the effect of a disease-modifying drug that slows cognitive decline by about 27% over 18 months of treatment.”
He added, “Slowing disease progression can also enhance the effects of existing treatments, so from a long-term perspective, it can provide various treatment environments for dementia patients and their families.”
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