Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is one of the leading causes of death in the United States, and prevalence is on the rise. Effective therapeutics are extremely limited, and the overwhelming majority of clinical trials to date have failed1.
Aducanumab is a very promising candidate and, while the future of this particular drug remains unclear, there is little doubt that science will advance and therapeutics will evolve. Eventually, an effective treatment agent will be discovered, and it will be critical that physicians are prepared to manage the deluge of patients that will present to clinic seeking treatment.
With such widespread prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease, the development of a new and effective therapeutic agent brings overwhelming promise for those affected by the disease. It will also introduce significant challenges for providers. One of the most prominent challenges to overcome will be identifying individuals that are most likely to benefit from treatment in a rapid, efficient, and safe manner. For drugs that target amyloid clearing, such as aducanumab, they may be most effective when administered in the preclinical phase.