Eisai Co., Ltd. and Biogen Inc. have announced encouraging findings from their Lecanemab in Early Alzheimer's Disease (LEADER) Study, revealing that 82.5% of participants either remained stable or showed improvement over an average of 17 months of therapy.
The results, presented at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference 2026, indicate that LEQEMBI treatment may help slow cognitive decline and maintain daily functioning in patients with early Alzheimer's disease. The study demonstrated consistent outcomes across various demographics, including sex, race, ethnicity, and APOE genotype.
The LEADER Study, a comprehensive multicenter, real-world, retrospective study, assessed 432 patients with early Alzheimer's disease. Of those, 75.9% remained stable, while 6.6% improved from mild AD dementia to mild cognitive impairment due to AD. The study also highlighted that nearly 87% of patients opted to continue with LEQEMBI treatment.
Among participants, 155 transitioned to once-every-four-weeks intravenous maintenance therapy, with 81% maintaining stability or showing improvement. A smaller group of 14 patients shifted to once-weekly subcutaneous maintenance treatment, with 85.7% staying stable.
Safety observations in the study were consistent with the U.S. FDA-approved label for LEQEMBI. Amyloid-related imaging abnormalities (ARIA) were noted in 12.3% of patients, with most cases being asymptomatic and mild. The incidence of ARIA among patients on antithrombotic therapy was comparable to those not on such medication.
The study's findings underscore the potential long-term benefits of continuous LEQEMBI treatment for early Alzheimer's disease, offering a promising option for slowing disease progression in diverse clinical settings.
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