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While there is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease, Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN) and Lehigh Valley Fleming Neuroscience Institute are pleased to offer lecanemab to help slow the cognitive decline in the early stages of the disease.
Alzheimer’s disease is believed to be caused by the abnormal buildup of proteins in the brain. One of those proteins is amyloid. The continuous buildup of amyloid proteins in the brain results in abnormal amyloid plaques. The resulting failure of brain cells leads to symptoms including memory loss, confusion and other major changes in the way the mind works.
Lehigh Valley Fleming Neuroscience Institute offers lecanemab to help slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. Lecanemab is a monoclonal antibody that targets the amyloid protein, preventing it from building into plaques and reducing existing amyloid brain plaque. It is administered by an intravenous (IV) infusion every two weeks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Lecanemab is the most recent FDA-approved anti amyloid antibody to help slow the cognitive decline in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease.
Yes, Medicare has approved lecanemab. However, there can be out of pocket expenses depending on your insurance.
The most common side effects are infusion-related reactions, headache and ARIA (amyloid related imaging abnormalities).
These are side effects from infusing lecanemab. These include fever, flu-like symptoms (chills, body aches, feeling shaky and joint pain), nausea, vomiting, dizziness or lightheadedness, changes in your heart rate or feeling like your chest is pounding, changes in your blood pressure, difficulty breathing or shortness of breath.
Your health care team at the infusion center is able to give you medicines to appropriately address any infusion reaction. You may be given some medicines to take before your next lecanemab infusion to decrease your chance of having a recurrent infusion-related reaction.
Anti-amyloid medications such as lecanemab can cause swelling of the brain, with or without small spots of bleeding in or on the surface of the brain.
Most people with this type of swelling in the brain do not get symptoms. However, some people may have symptoms, such as: headache, confusion, dizziness, vision changes, nausea, difficulty walking or seizures.
You will be monitored for ARIA with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans before starting treatment and at various intervals during your treatment.