Key points from article :
The first new treatment for Alzheimer's disease has been approved by regulators in the US, paving the way for its use in the UK.
Aducanumab (Aduhelm®) targets the underlying cause of Alzheimer's, rather than its symptoms.
At least 100,000 people in the UK with a mild form of the disease could be suitable for the drug.
The US FDA said there was substantial evidence that aducanumab reduces amyloid beta plaques in the brain.
"The drug did work, as long as it was given in higher doses, and it significantly slowed cognitive decline" - Biogen.
"This is not a cure for Alzheimer's but it is the first treatment which tackles the destructive mechanism in the brain," - Fergus Walsh, Medical editor.
Robert Howard, professor at UCL, went further calling the drug's approval "a grave error".
Alzheimer's Society said the drug was promising but it was just the beginning of the road to new treatments for Alzheimer's disease.
Its US approval could be a huge boost to dementia research.
