(Radio Iowa) An experimental drug being tested on people with Alzheimer’s disease is showing promise and is very encouraging, according to Tim Harrington, a spokesman for the Iowa chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. The drug is called Lecanemab (lah-CAN-ah-mab) and medical reports out this week say it can slow the rate of cognitive decline by 27-percent, which Harrington calls significant.

The clinical trial of Lecanemab is in its third phase, so the next step is getting the F-D-A to approve the drug as a viable treatment.

While it’s promising that this drug appears to be able to slow down the progression of Alzheimer’s, he reinforces that it’s not a cure, but it is an important step on the long road. Harrington says it could be some time before this drug is available in Iowa.

More than six-million people nationwide are living with Alzheimer’s disease, including 66,000 in Iowa. Learn more at: alz.org