Below is from an email which I receive weekly from Dr Regina Koepp which occasionally covers new medical advancements of interest to Seniors. Here is insight for both the positives and negatives around the new drug for Alzheimers. Listening to the podcast will take approx 30 minutes.
Dr. Regina Koepp says:
When the new Alzheimer’s drug, Aducanumab, came onto the market at the beginning of the summer, this was my first thought. Would the hope of using a drug to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, outweigh the risks of having no hope (and side effects) for slowing the painful effects of dementia?
This was one of the questions that I asked today’s guest, Dr. Jason Karlawish, Neurologist and Co-Director of the Penn Memory Center. Dr. Karlawish’s answer to this question left me speechless. I hope that you’ll listen to the interview and hear his answer for yourself.
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In this episode, Dr. Karlawish and I discuss:
- Reasons that Dr. Karlawish is a “reluctant prescriber” of Aducanumab
- The risks and benefits of Aducanumab for Alzheimer’s Disease
- How the FDA made the decision to approve Aducanumab for use
- The answer to the question: “is some hope is better than no hope?”
- The effects of the COVID-19 virus on brain health (i.e., risk for dementia)
Simply click here, to listen (transcript included).