Eisai And Biogen's Lecanemab: A Flawed Treatment For Alzheimer's Disease

Dec. 30, 2022 5:22 PM ETBiogen Inc. (BIIB) Stock, , , 62 Comments
Lane Simonian
2.53K Followers

Summary

  • Lecanemab only significantly slows down the progression of Alzheimer's disease in APOE4 carriers.
  • Lecanemab is suspected of causing at least three deaths.
  • The FDA may still grant approval to lecanemab with a warning label regarding brain bleeds and brain swelling.
  • Medicare may deny coverage of lecanemab outside of any further clinical trials based on cost, safety, and efficacy concerns.
  • The likelihood of long-term down side pressure on Biogen Inc. and Eisai's stock value seems more likely than long-term positive movement.

Man Standing on Cliff Searching Through Spyglass In The Fog

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The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will soon be considering whether to approve lecanemab for Alzheimer’s disease. If the FDA grants accelerated approval to the drug, Medicare may still not cover lecanemab due to cost, safety, and efficacy concerns. In addition better

This article was written by

2.53K Followers
Retired history instructor. Alzheimer's disease researcher for the past two decades.My goal is to give investors solid advice based on the mechanisms of action of Alzheimer's drugs. This advice is informed by a background in biology (conservation, ecology, evolution, environmental science, and biochemistry) and twenty years of a very in depth review of the research on Alzheimer's disease. I have come to the conclusion that Alzheimer's disease is caused by oxidation and nitration. Many treatments for Alzheimer's disease address factors that can contribute to oxidation and nitration such as misfolded amyloid and tau proteins and neuroinflammation, but very few direct scavenge compounds (such as hydrogen peroxide and peroxynitrite) that cause oxidation and nitration nor do they reverse any of the damage already present. Thus, most treatments for Alzheimer's disease only slow down the early progression of the disease for awhile. Certain natural products such as panax ginseng and various essential oils via aromatherapy inhibit oxidation and nitration, scavenge agents that cause oxidative and nitrostative stress, and reverse part of their damage. Such treatments have the potential to stabilize Alzheimer's disease.I follow companies, such as Anavex and Cyclo Therapeutics, whose drug candidate may do the same. These are the only Alzheimer's companies that I recommend investing in.

Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

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