Putting Lecanemab into Practice: A Clinician’s Perspective on the New Alzheimer’s Treatment

On July 6, 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted full approval for the Alzheimer’s disease drug Leqembi (lecanemab-irmb), the first medicine shown to delay the course of the disease. Having gone through a rigorous approval process, the medication exemplifies a critical advancement in the ongoing battle to treat Alzheimer’s disease. Having already prescribed the treatment to real-life patients, Dr. Robert Przybelski joins the podcast to discuss his experience prescribing and administering lecanemab, what clinicians and patients should discuss when considering these treatments, and what is needed to integrate these treatments into the healthcare system. Guest: Robert Przybelski, MD, MS, director, Geriatric Memory Clinics, UW Health, professor, Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health Show Notes Read more about Lecanemab’s Appropriate Use Guidelines on our website. Read the FDA’s press release, “FDA Converts Novel Alzheimer’s Disease Treatment to Traditional Approval.” Listen to previous Dementia Matters episodes on lecanemab, “Introducing Lecanemab, The Latest Alzheimer’s Disease Drug to Receive FDA Accelerated Approval,” and “A Closer Look at the Lecanemab Clinical Trials,” on our website and all major podcast platforms. Listen to Dr. Przybelski’s previous episode of Dementia Matters, “Vitamin Deficiency And Its Impact On Brain Health,” on our website, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Podbean, and all major podcast platforms. Connect with us Find transcripts and more at our website. Email Dementia Matters: [email protected] Follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s e-newsletter.