Alzheimer’s disease causes memory loss, other emotional and cognitive changes, and behavioral changes that get more severe over time.
Your treatment plan may change as your condition progresses or new treatment options become available.
If you or someone you care for has Alzheimer’s disease, you may be wondering about the latest treatments.
We consulted Mike Gorenchtein, MD, a geriatric medicine specialist at Northwell Lenox Hill Hospital in New York, to learn about new and experimental treatment options for Alzheimer’s disease.
“There’s currently no cure for Alzheimer’s disease,” Gorenchtein told Healthline.
“[But] there have been significant strides in the scientific and medical fields over the last few decades to better understand the intricate mechanisms driving Alzheimer’s disease,” he said.
Learning more about the underlying causes of Alzheimer’s disease has allowed scientists to develop new treatments to help slow memory loss and other cognitive changes.
Scientists are also developing new screening tools and techniques to identify early warning signs of Alzheimer’s disease before memory loss or other cognitive challenges occur.
Gorenchtein told Healthline that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recently approved two new treatments for Alzheimer’s disease:
Both treatments received
The manufacturer of both drugs has since announced that it will no longer be developing or selling Aduhelm, but it will continue to develop and sell Leqembi.
How do Aduhelm and Leqembi work?
Aduhelm and Leqembi are both monoclonal antibodies that target amyloid beta plaques, which are abnormal clumps of protein fragments that build up between nerve cells in people with Alzheimer’s disease.
Studies of these monoclonal antibody therapies have focused on people with mild cognitive changes or decline or mild dementia from Alzheimer’s disease.
“The goal [is] to help slow down cognitive decline early on,” Gorenchtein told Healthline.
“It’s therefore important for patients to have early cognitive evaluations by geriatricians or neurologists to detect the earliest hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease. Often, these early stages of memory loss are subtle and can be easily missed by patients’ families,” he said.
If your doctor prescribes Leqembi, attending regular follow-up appointments is crucial to monitor your condition and check for treatment side effects, such as brain swelling and bleeding.
What are the new advances in research on Alzheimer’s disease?
“New advances in research on Alzheimer’s treatments have focused on the role of immunotherapeutic agents to help mitigate the pathological changes in the brain associated with the disease.
“This has remarkably helped people with Alzheimer’s retain the same level of function for a longer period of time, delaying the progression of symptoms.”
— Shilpa H. Amin, MD
Gorenchtein told Healthline that scientists have been studying other monoclonal antibody therapies that target amyloid beta, similar to Aduhelm and Leqembi.
Scientists have been conducting
Some of these treatments may receive FDA approval in the future.
Gorenchtein also described other potential treatments that may become available one day, including:
- medications to help protect the brain from chronic inflammation
- targeted therapies to prevent abnormal accumulation of tau protein in the brain
- new surgical techniques to correct problems with the lymphatic system in the brain
Tau protein helps stabilize neurons in the brain, which are a type of nerve cell that sends and receives signals. Abnormal tangles of tau protein buildup and damage neurons in people with Alzheimer’s disease.
Although more research is necessary, it’s possible that abnormal lymphatic fluid flow may also play a role in Alzheimer’s disease. The lymphatic system helps clear waste products from the brain.
Are there current clinical trials?
“There are two ongoing phase 3 drug trials through 2027 examining lecanemab. The
“These types of trials have helped improve access to new treatments. Resources through the
— Shilpa H. Amin, MD
Gorenchtein recommends a combination of strategies and treatments to manage Alzheimer’s disease, including:
- patient and caregiver education
- behavioral and lifestyle changes
- supportive services
- medication
If you have mild memory loss or other mild cognitive changes from Alzheimer’s disease, your doctor may prescribe Leqembi to help slow the progression of your condition.
Older medications are also available to help treat symptoms of memory loss and other mental changes.
These medications include:
- cholinesterase inhibitors, including:
- donepezil (Aricept)
- rivastigmine (Exelon)
- galantamine (Razadyne)
- memantine (Namenda), which is a glutamate regulator
- Namzaric, which contains a combination of donepezil and memantine
“[Cholinesterase inhibitors] are often the first-line treatment for patients with mild cognitive impairment and mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease dementia,” Gorenchtein said.
“In some people, they can cause side effects such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss, and slow heart rate.”
Your doctor may switch you to memantine or add memantine to your existing treatment plan if cholinesterase inhibitors cause side effects that are difficult to manage or you develop more severe dementia. Memantine may cause side effects, such as dizziness and confusion.
Your doctor may recommend additional treatments if you develop behavioral or mental health challenges related to Alzheimer’s disease, such as:
- sleep challenges
- depression
- agitation
- aggression
- hallucinations
- delusions
“Treatment of the behavioral problems in Alzheimer’s disease, which are often more troubling than the cognitive symptoms, is usually a combination of family and caregiver education, behavioral therapy, and medications,” Gorenchtein said.
“In advanced dementia stages, patients can develop agitations and delusions, which are treated with behavioral modifications and, in certain cases, medications,” he added.
Scientists continue to study the causes of Alzheimer’s disease and develop new treatments.
New treatments may help slow the development of Alzheimer’s disease and limit symptoms.
New screening technologies may also become available to help doctors identify the early warning signs of Alzheimer’s disease before the condition causes memory loss or other mental changes.
“Developing [new] therapies and screening modalities is a slow process,” said Gorenchtein.
“However, there’s optimism that in today’s vastly growing technological era and with greater public awareness about Alzheimer’s disease, we may see a quicker turnover rate of new treatment options,” he said.
Talk with your doctor to learn more about your current treatment options for Alzheimer’s disease.
They can also help you learn more about the potential benefits and risks of participating in a clinical trial to receive experimental treatment for Alzheimer’s disease.
