A Korean research team has developed, for the first time in the world, a dosing method for “Leqembi,” a dementia treatment that removes the brain protein responsible for Alzheimer’s disease, which dramatically reduces its side effects. Leqembi is a new drug used for patients with mild cognitive impairment and early-stage dementia and has been shown to slow dementia progression by 27%.

According to Samsung Medical Center on the 26th, a joint research team from eight hospitals in Korea recently presented dosing guidelines at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC), under which the Leqembi dose is adjusted according to the patient’s genetic characteristics.

Patients who inherit the “dementia risk gene (APOE4)” from both parents have up to a 12-fold higher incidence of dementia than those without the gene. One in ten dementia patients in Korea falls into this category. Compared with individuals without the gene, these patients have faced significant treatment challenges because the risk of side effects such as cerebral edema and microhemorrhage is higher when using Leqembi. In Europe, Leqembi cannot be used for patients who inherit the dementia risk gene from both parents, whereas in Korea it has been prescribed despite the risk of side effects.

The research team focused on the fact that the blood vessels of patients carrying the dementia risk gene are more vulnerable to Leqembi. The team began dosing at 2.5 mg per kg of body weight and then increased the dose stepwise, instead of the standard 10 mg per kg. Applying this new dosing method to 64 patients with the gene from 2024 through December last year resulted in cerebral edema in only 4 patients (6.2%). This represents a reduction in the incidence of side effects to about one-fifth of the rate (32.6%) seen in international clinical trials. The incidence of microhemorrhage also declined from 39.0% to 18.8%.

Seo Sang-won, a professor of neurology at Samsung Medical Center, said, “As the blood vessels were given time to adapt to the drug, side effects decreased,” adding, “The number of patients eligible to receive the new drug will increase significantly.” The research findings are scheduled to be published in “Alzheimer’s & Dementia,” the leading international journal in the field of Alzheimer’s disease.

Popular News