PERRY, Iowa — A first-of-its-kind treatment is giving Alzheimer's patients their first real shot at fighting the disease instead of just treating the symptoms.
"With Alzheimer's disease, there is an abnormal accumulation of a protein called amyloid," said Dr. Robert Bender, section chief of the Geriatric and Memory Center at Broadlawns Medical Center. "This new medicine attacks that and reduces the load of that abnormal protein in the brain with the hope that the brain will function better."
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Biogen's Alzheimer's drug for use on June 7.
Biogen said they'll start shipping the medication out next week.
The approval was surrounded by controversy.
Some FDA advisers said studies haven't proven the drug slows disease progression, but the FDA said they signed off because there is evidence it could potentially help slow things down.
“Currently available therapies only treat symptoms of the disease; this treatment option is the first therapy to target and affect the underlying disease process of Alzheimer’s," said Patrizia Cavazzoni, M.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. "As we have learned from the fight against cancer, the accelerated approval pathway can bring therapies to patients faster while spurring more research and innovation.”
Alzheimer's community celebrates
This is the first time since 2003 the FDA signed off on a new medication for Alzheimer's treatment.
Bob Manley, who is in the advanced stages of a form of dementia, won't see benefits from treatment, but his family is celebrating for those out there that might be helped.
"To know that there is a possibility of helping other families, other caregivers, lengthen the time they have with their loved one and improve the quality of life is tremendous," Bob's daughter Lynette Groenenboom said.
Bob was a hard worker all his life, so it's only natural for him to continue working, despite his disease progressing.
His wife and kids tell Bob he works at the care facility he lives at in Perry.
"We tell him he makes $50 an hour," Bob's wife Vicky Manley said.
Masked up, and unable to visit Bob in his room due to pandemic restrictions, Vicky and Lynette said they're ecstatic getting to visit.
Bob's condition has deteriorated this past year, and his family wasn't able to be there with him while it happened due to facility lockdowns.
The only time they were able to physically touch him during that time was when Bob was taken to the hospital after falling.
“I never thought I would be grateful that he had an accident,” Lynette said. “He was taken by ambulance to Methodist West and for a head injury and that was the first time we were able to put our hands on him and it was wonderful.”
Bob's wife, Vicky Manley, knows firsthand how fleeting memories can be, and the importance of having your loved one hold onto as many as they can for as long as they can.
"With that new drug, maybe he'd have been home longer," Vicky said.