On Tuesday, the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) authorized a novel Eli Lilly medication for Alzheimer's patients.

In clinical trials, the medication has been shown to slightly slow down the impact of the disease on a patient's memory and cognitive abilities, as stated by the drug regulator.

The USFDA recommends that people with mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia should start treatment with donanemab, which will be sold as Kisunla.

The treatment is a monoclonal antibody injection given every four weeks. According to Lilly, brain amyloid, a putative indicator of Alzheimer's disease, is the target of Kisunla's mechanism of action.

Over 6.5 million Americans have Alzheimer's disease, a progressive brain condition that causes a decline in thinking, memory, and the ability to perform everyday tasks. The USFDA says that although the exact causes of Alzheimer's disease are unknown, the disease is characterized by brain abnormalities like amyloid beta plaques and neurofibrillary tangles, which lead to the death of neurons and their connections. These modifications impact a person's capacity for speech, thought, and memory.

This approval is noteworthy because it adds another therapy option for the debilitating disease, according to an NBC News article. It's interesting to see that the outcomes mirrored those of Leqembi.

Brain hemorrhage and enlargement are among the potentially fatal side effects of Kisunla, according to the FDA. The medicine caused three deaths, although most cases in the study were minor.

Kisunla is the second drug of its sort to be approved for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease, after Leqembi. Aduhelm, a drug made by Biogen, was removed off the market this year, according to NBC.