On the news that lecanemab – a promising new therapeutic antibody that we played a small but important part in discovering – has received regulatory and safety approval from the FDA, LifeArc’s Chief Scientific Officer Dr Dave Powell said:

“We are delighted that lecanemab has been approved by the FDA as a treatment for people with a confirmed diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment or early-stage Alzheimer’s disease and are proud to have had a role in its discovery. The decision means doctors in the US will be able to prescribe the drug to people who can afford to pay for the drug directly or have appropriate medical insurance.

“This news offers hope to millions of patients and their families around the world, as it’s the first drug to show a cognitive clinical benefit for people affected by this devastating condition. We hope the UK’s medicines regulator will make a quick decision on the drug, so eligible people in the UK can also benefit from this new medicine if the benefits for people with Alzheimer’s disease are clear and they are not outweighed by safety concerns.”

Read more about our role in developing the drug.