World Alzheimer’s Day 2020: The Latest News and Commentary on the Treatment of Alzheimer Disease

September 21, 2020 marks the global recognition of World Alzheimer’s Day--a day dedicated to the more than 50 million people worldwide impacted by Alzheimer disease (AD).

The treatment of AD has perplexed the medical world for decades, with many research efforts resulting in futile trials of investigational therapies that were thought to address key pathological features of the degenerative disease. Still, much progress has been made in our understanding of the mechanisms that contribute to this degeneration, and now, one of the most promising therapies that the community has seen currently sits in front of the FDA. 

To shine a light on this progress and what remains to be seen in the management of AD, NeurologyLive has compiled some of the most recent newsworthy research as well as original commentary and interviews with leaders in the field. 

Below you’ll find the latest information on investigational therapies, commentary on the potential of aducanumab, and the latest pipeline developments. 

• Sumifilam Improves Multiple Alzheimer Disease Biomarkers in Phase 2b Study​
• FDA Accepts Aducanumab for Review as Alzheimer Disease Treatment​
• FDA Accepts sNDA for Pimavanserin for Dementia-Related Psychosis​
• Alzheimer Disease Treatment Pipeline: Hope is Trending​

Aducanumab, which, if approved, will become the first drug to slow clinical decline in AD through its mechanism of selectively targeting forms of amyloid beta, presents a potential disease- and life-altering development. Click the links below to hear perspectives on the topic from thought leaders Marwan Sabbagh, MD, and James Kupiec, MD. 

• Aducanumab: A Potentially Landscape-Altering Treatment for Alzheimer​
• Aducanumab's Unlikely Road to the FDA: Is Approval Imminent?​

This summer’s virtual Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) also included several research and clinical highlights, including new data on a promising biomarker as well as an updated report on modifiable risk factors that can potentially prevent or delay up to 40% of cases of dementia. 

• P-Tau217 May Detect Alzheimer Disease, Brain Amyloidosis, Tauopathy​
• 12 Modifiable Risk Factors to Reduce Dementia Risk​

Lastly, we recently sat down with AD clinician researcher Jeffrey Cummings, MD, ScD, who discussed the changing landscape of the therapeutic pipeline for the disease. Listen to the conversation below:

• Mind Moment Podcast, Episode 14: Trends in the Alzheimer Disease Clinical Pipeline 

For more of the latest news and expert insights on Alzheimer disease and dementia, visit our Alzheimer disease and dementia Clinical Focus page.