HEALTH
ask DRMARK PORTER
YOUR QUESTIONS/ ULTRA-PROCESSED FOOD/ SNORING
Our expert on the new Alzheimer's drug, treating vertigo at home, an overactive bladder and knee pain
Q When will the new Alzheimer's treatment lecanemab be available on the NHS? My husband has dementia but is unable to take any of the current treatments due to side effects and I am worried he is missing out on something that could help.
I am sorry to hear what you and your \:..' husband are going through but, as exciting as lecanemab is, I don't believe it's quite the momentous breakthrough suggested in recent media coverage.
Lecanemab is one of a new group of drugs that reduces the build-up of abnormal proteins (amyloid) found in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease, and early results suggest that it can slow progression. However, the impact on day-to-day life - for the individual and their family - remains relatively small. It is certainly not a cure.
As I write it has not yet been approved by the UK regulatory authorities and, even if it does clear this hurdle, lecanemab will only become available on the NHS if endorsed by NICE for England, and the UK's other approval bodies. And it would not be the first 'wonder' treatment to fail to achieve this.