AAN reviews aducanumab use in symptomatic Alzheimer’s disease

Melissa Armstrong
Dr. Melissa Armstrong

By Anna Shavers

Melissa Armstrong, M.D., M.Sc., an associate professor of neurology, co-authored an evidence-in-focus review article on the use of aducanumab, or Aduhelm, to treat early symptomatic Alzheimer’s disease.

The report, from the American Academy of Neurology guidelines subcommittee and published in the AAN’s journal Neurology, discusses the safety, efficacy, tolerability, costs and other considerations of aducanumab in four clinical trials in an effort to help neurologists, patients and families understand the evidence of the drug currently available.

The authors stated that additional research is needed to determine whether the use of aducanumab translates to clinically meaningful outcomes for patients and that more research is needed before any AAN guideline recommendations can be created. Until then, potential benefits and risks must be considered by clinicians, patients and caregivers in their shared decision-making.

“The FDA approval of aducanumab for the treatment of early changes in the brain in Alzheimer’s disease resulted in both hope and controversy,” Armstrong said. “This American Academy of Neurology evidence-in-focus article describes the research using aducanumab and potential risks and benefits. It also outlines key considerations for people living with memory changes, their families, and their healthcare teams when discussing whether to use aducanumab.”

Armstrong, director of the Mangurian Clinical-Research Headquarters for Lewy Body Dementia at the Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases at UF Health, served on the panel that reviewed the clinical data and was senior author of the paper.

Read the review in the journal Neurology.

Read the AAN’s press release about the review.