Biogen’s Alzheimer’s Drug, Aducanumab, Rejected By FDA

Last week an FDA panel met to review the evidence of Biogen’s highly anticipated Alzheimer’s drug, aducanumab. The experts rejected the arguments in favor of aducanumab, indicating that there is not adequate evidence to support its use to prevent or reverse the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. Out of eleven panel experts, ten voted that the evidence was unreasonable to support aducanumab as an effective treatment for Alzheimer’s disease, with the eleventh member stating that he was uncertain.

This decision brings with it the immense disappointment for the millions of people suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and their families. This is not the first Alzheimer’s drug to fail in its attempt to slow or reverse Alzheimer’s disease, and it certainly won’t be the last. Just months ago, we wrote about another massively failed monotherapeutic attempt to treat Alzheimer’s in the DIAN-TU trial. It seems that aducanumab’s failure is no different than the drugs tested in DIAN-TU and countless others: it fails to address the root cause of the disease. Aducanumab targets beta-amyloid plaques in the brain, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease. The amyloid is not the root cause. The amyloid is a response to insult. To prevent and reverse Alzheimer’s disease, we need to address the insult. Without this approach, those at risk of or suffering from Alzheimer’s are destined to be forever disappointed in the outcomes of drug trials.

We’ve asked this question before: What will it take for the greater medical community to look beyond the outdated one pharmaceutical for one disease model of the 20th century and instead embrace multi-therapy, with nutrition and lifestyle medicine for the complex chronic illness model that the 21st century desperately needs? Not only do we know that this approach works in Alzheimer’s disease, it is far safer and more cost effective. The monthly intravenous infusions for aducanumab would cost about $50,000 per year. The cost of optimizing one’s health through diet and lifestyle is a mere fraction of that and also undoubtedly improves one’s overall health and risk for other chronic illnesses. The goal is to intervene early, ideally adopting a therapeutic program to prevent the disease, rather than waiting for the onset of symptoms. The Amos Institute Cognitive Health Program can help you begin optimizing your nutrition and lifestyle to prevent or reverse cognitive decline. Contact us to start today!

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Reference:

Belluck, P.F.D.A. Panel Declines to Endorse Controversial Alzheimer’s Drug. New York Times (Nov 6, 2020). Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/06/health/aducanumab-alzheimers-drug-fda-panel.html?auth=login-email&login=email&referringSource=articleShare