Amyloid and Non-Amyloid Advanced Therapeutics in Dementia: R. Scott Turner, PhD, MD, FANA, FAAN

WATCH TIME: 5 minutes

“We haven’t had a new drug for almost 20 years because of failed trials, but now with these anti-amyloid antibodies, this is like a breakthrough. This is our first disease-modifying therapy that removes amyloid from the brain, which we think is the proximal cause of the disease and causes lots of other downstream pathologies as well.”

The treatment landscape for dementia is rapidly expanding, offering promise with new therapies in development for living with the condition. There are several advances in therapeutics that are aimed at addressing cognitive impairment and dementia through a variety of innovative approaches, including anti-amyloid and anti-tau therapies as well as non-amyloid and non-tau therapies. These treatments are designed to target the underlying causes of movement and memory disorders, paving the way for improved outcomes and a better quality of life for patients impacted by these diseases.

R. Scott Turner, PhD, MD, FANA, FAAN, presented a talk on advanced therapeutics in dementia at the 3rd Annual Advanced Therapeutics in Movement and Related Disorders (ATMRD) Congress, held by the PMD Alliance from June 22-25, 2024. During his presentation, attendees had the opportunity to review the pathology of the disease and management options that can be offered to patients with dementia. Turner helped equip clinicians with the information needed to identify presenting symptoms, etiology, and diagnostic workup, as well as how amyloid and non-amyloid therapy may be used for memory disorders.

At the Congress, Turner, professor in the department of neurology and director of the Memory Disorders Program at Georgetown University, sat down with NeurologyLive^® in an interview to further talk about the benefits and risks associated with the new antiamyloid antibodies for Alzheimer treatment. He also talked about how lecanemab (Leqembi; Eisai), an approved FDA drug, and donanemab (Eli Lilly), a drug in development, differ from traditional oral medications for AD. Furthermore, he discussed the significance of early evaluation and treatment for memory problems in older adults.

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