Eli Lilly's donanemab, sold under the brand name Kisunla, treats early symptomatic Alzheimer's disease. It is a monoclonal antibody that targets toxic plaques in the brain called amyloid, a hallmark of Alzheimer's, to slow the progression of the disease in patients at the early stages of it.
Donanemab and Leqembi are both monoclonal antibodies targeting amyloid-beta (Aβ) plaques in Alzheimer's disease1. Donanemab has shown a 35% reduction in disease progression over 18 months compared to a placebo, while Leqembi reduced clinical decline by 27% at 18 months. Both drugs require intravenous administration, but donanemab is dosed once every four weeks, while Leqembi is dosed every two weeks. The safety profiles of both drugs include risks of amyloid-related imaging abnormalities, such as brain swelling and bleeding.
The FDA has approved Eli Lilly's donanemab, to be sold as Kisunla, for adults with early symptomatic Alzheimer's disease. The drug, which is administered through monthly infusions, slowed Alzheimer's progression by 35% over 18 months in a late-stage trial. Patients were able to end their treatment and switch to a placebo after six, 12, or 18 months after reaching certain goals for amyloid plaque clearance.