Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Flu Shots May Lower Alzheimer's Risk; Adult ADHD Tied To Dementia
The Washington Post: Flu Shots May Protect Against The Risk Of Alzheimer’s, Related Dementias
There are many good reasons to get a flu shot this fall, but here’s one that might surprise you: It could protect your brain. Recent research suggests that regular vaccinations against influenza and other infectious diseases such as shingles, pneumococcal pneumonia, and tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis (whooping cough) may reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. (Cimons, 10/25)
The Washington Post: Adult ADHD Is Associated With A Higher Risk For Dementia
Adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is often misunderstood, and people who struggle with it are often viewed as quirky, disorganized, creative or forgetful. Many people go a lifetime without receiving a diagnosis or treatment. ... Now, new research is showing that adult ADHD may take a toll on the brain and is linked to a higher likelihood of developing dementia. A study published in JAMA Network Open reported that being diagnosed with ADHD as an adult is associated with a 2.77-fold increased risk of dementia. (Sima, 10/26)
Fierce Biotech: Araclon Vaccine Appears To Slow Alzheimer's In Phase 2 Analysis
Araclon Biotech has provided early evidence that its Alzheimer’s disease vaccine is effective, linking the candidate to a 38% slowdown in disease progression compared to placebo in an exploratory analysis of phase 2 data. (Taylor, 10/25)
Stat: Biogen's Alzheimer's Drug Slows Cognitive Decline In Early Study
An experimental treatment for Alzheimer’s disease that removes a toxic protein called tau from brain cells showed “favorable trends” across several measures of cognition and function in a small study — results that offer some hope for an emerging drug class that has failed to deliver benefits in the past. The drug, called BIIB080, is being developed by Biogen. (Feuerstein, 10/25)
The Boston Globe: Alzheimer’s: Biogen And Eli Lilly Present Clinical Treatment Data
Cambridge drug maker Biogen, which won US approval in July for the first Alzheimer’s therapy shown to modestly slow cognitive decline, is advancing a new line of attack on the memory-robbing disease. Even as it ramps up sales of its approved drug, Leqembi, which clears the buildup of a toxic protein in the brain, Biogen released early clinical data Wednesday for a different drug, called BIIB080, which targets another type of protein, called tau, that is also suspected of contributing to Alzheimer’s disease. (Weisman and Saltzman, 10/25)
Stat: Under-The-Skin Injection Of Eisai's Leqembi Is As Effective As IV Infusion
Aversion of the Alzheimer’s disease drug Leqembi that can be given with a simpler, under-the-skin injection is equally effective as the currently approved intravenous infusion, according to study results presented Wednesday by its maker, Eisai. But hopes that the subcutaneous injection would also cause lower rates of brain swelling and bleeding — the drug’s most worrisome side effects — were not borne out in the study. (Feuerstein, 10/25)
Time: Early Cognitive Decline Is Underdiagnosed
Ninety-nine percent of doctors miss mild cognitive impairment, a dementia precursor in older adults. (Weiss, 10/24)
KFF Health News: Doubts Abound About A New Alzheimer’s Blood Test
For the first time, people worried about their risk of Alzheimer’s disease can go online, order a blood test, and receive results in the privacy of their homes. This might seem appealing on the surface, but the development has Alzheimer’s researchers and clinicians up in arms. The Quest Diagnostics blood test, AD-Detect, measures elevated levels of amyloid-beta proteins, a signature characteristic of Alzheimer’s. Introduced in late July, the test is targeted primarily at people 50 and older who suspect their memory and thinking might be impaired and people with a family history of Alzheimer’s or genetic risks for the condition. (Graham, 10/26)
