Bonn/Germany, April 15, 2025. The European Commission has granted authorization of the Alzheimer’s drug “Lecanemab” (brand name: Leqembi). The novel medicine is indicated for the treatment of early Alzheimer's and can slow down the progression of the disease. Lecanemab is an engineered antibody that targets so-called amyloid proteins, which accumulate in the brain in Alzheimer’s disease.
Prof. Dr. Gabor Petzold, a neurologist and Director of Clinical Research at DZNE comments on the current developments:
“Lecanemab offers a novel treatment option that targets an important mechanism of Alzheimer’s disease. The approval of this drug is good news for people with Alzheimer’s in Europe. It puts us in a position to tackle Alzheimer’s disease at one of its roots. This is a genuine advance. On behalf of DZNE, we intend to monitor the use of the drug in Germany by setting up a registry in which treatment data and experiences will be collected. We expect that this will provide important insights into this therapy and its further development.”
“There is still a lot to be done for our healthcare system and for research. Early detection of dementia needs to be improved and we need more effective drugs. Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases are multifaceted. Future therapies will need to address this complexity and are likely to combine different approaches. In addition, there is a lot of untapped potential in prevention that we should take better advantage of. There is probably no single solution for brain health and healthy ageing. If we want to reduce the incidence of Alzheimer's and other dementias in a sustainable way, we need to address many issues. Given that there are around 1.8 million people with dementia in Germany, and the number is rising, we are facing an enormous task.”
Press release of the European Commission
About Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen, DZNE (German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases): DZNE is one of the world’s leading research centers for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and ALS, which are associated with dementia, movement disorders and other serious health impairments. These diseases place an enormous burden on patients and their families, but also on society and the economy of healthcare. DZNE contributes significantly to the development and translation into practice of novel strategies for prevention, diagnosis, care and treatment. DZNE comprises ten sites across Germany and collaborates with universities, university hospitals, research centers and other institutions in Germany and throughout the world. DZNE is state-funded and a member of the Helmholtz Association and of the German Centers for Health Research.