A group of Duke Health researchers have addressed patient concerns about Alzheimer’s drug lecanemab through a real-world study. Their findings aligned with results from clinical trials, according to a Duke Health press release.

Patients and their families were particularly worried about the safety and efficacy of the drug. To address this, the researchers analyzed treatment reactions in 230 participants who received lecanemab at Duke during a two-year period.

Key findings:

• More than three-quarters of patients continued treatment.
• Participants who were unable to continue treatment mostly had to stop because of adverse events.
• Just under 25% of participants experienced Amyloid Related Imaging Abnormalities (ARIA), lasting up to 30 weeks after beginning therapy.
• Those with APOE ε4 homozygotes had a higher chance of developing ARIA.
• 31% of participants who developed ARIA also experienced adverse events like infusion reactions, falls, and strokes during their treatment course, but not all events could be attributed to lecanemab.
• Developing ARIA did not impact “rates of change in cognitive performance at 12 months.”
• There isn’t currently a reliable risk predictor test for ARIA.
• The researchers emphasized the importance of continuous patient monitoring, utilizing AI-powered imaging to aid with early and reliable ARIA detection, with plans for expanded use.