Dr Richard Oakley
- Dr Richard Oakley Pippa Kelly 42:56
I am sure that many people listening to my podcasts will be aware of two ground-breaking medical breakthroughs that have occurred in recent months. These are the immunotherapy drugs Lecanemab and Donanemab, which is shown to have slowed the decline in memory and cognition of people with early stage Alzheimer’s disease by up to 40pc.
These drugs do not, like others before them, merely mask the symptoms of Alzheimer’s, which accounts for over 60pc of all dementia cases – they modify the disease itself. They bind to the Amyloid plaque that builds up in the brains of those with Alzheimer’s, triggering the body’s own immune cells to remove the destructive plaque.
My guest, Dr Richard Oakley, the Alzheimer’s Society’s Associate Director of Research, has described the arrival of Donanemab as a turning point in the fight against the disease.
Dr Oakley says that treatments like Donanemab are the first steps towards a future where Alzheimer’s could be considered a long-term condition. People may have to live with it, but they could have treatments allowing them to manage their symptoms and continue to live fulfilled lives.
The big question is: if the drugs become available in the UK, will the NHS be able to deliver them to those they would most benefit?
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