New Alzheimer’s drug shows promise in small trial

Treatment reduced brain plaques, but effects on mental function not clear

brain scans

PLAQUE BUSTER  In a trial of 165 people, brain scans showed reductions in amyloid-beta plaques (red) in people given the antibody aducanumab compared with a placebo. Higher doses caused more amyloid reduction. 

J. Sevigny et al/Nature 2016

An experimental drug swept sticky plaques from the brains of a small number of people with Alzheimer’s disease over the course of a year.