Alzheimer’s drug gets FDA approval with CMH assistance

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has given its stamp of approval to a new Alzheimer’s drug that Citizens Memorial Hospital had a hand in testing.

Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly and Co. (NYSE: LLY) was approved July 2 by the FDA for donanemab, sold under the brand name Kisunla, which treats early-stage Alzheimer's disease. The Bolivar health system participated in the clinical research trial that led to FDA approval, with 15 patients at CMH's Missouri Memory Center and CMH Research Department taking part in clinical research studies since March 2021.

"This is the second drug treatment for Alzheimer’s disease that the FDA has approved in less than a year," said Dr. Curtis Schreiber, medical director of the Missouri Memory Center and CMH Research Department, in the release. "What makes this drug approval even more exciting is that we had, and still have, patients at Missouri Memory Center who participated in the clinical research study. Their participation helped provide the necessary evidence that the drug is effective in significantly slowing cognitive and functional decline in patients with early symptomatic Alzheimer’s disease.”

Eli Lilly applied for FDA approval last year and presented full study results at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Amsterdam, Netherlands, in July 2023.

CMH's Missouri Memory Center provides specialized care for people with memory concerns, including Alzheimer’s disease. The CMH Research Department continues to have opportunities for patients interested in participating in clinical trials studying new treatments for Alzheimer’s disease, according to the release.