Canada Approves First Alzheimer's Drug That Slows Disease

Canada just approved its first treatment that doesn't just manage Alzheimer's symptoms but actually slows down the disease itself.

Lecanemab, approved by Health Canada late last year, targets the toxic protein buildup in the brain that causes Alzheimer's. For people caught in the early stages of dementia, this drug can delay progression to the next stage by a year or more.

"Lecanemab actually targets the underlying biology of Alzheimer's," says Laveena Kamboj from Eisai, the pharmaceutical company that developed the treatment. Clinical trials showed the drug slows cognitive decline by about 30 percent, giving patients and families precious extra time together.

The drug works by clearing out amyloid plaques, the harmful protein clumps that destroy brain cells and steal memories. By catching these toxic proteins early, before they form large plaques, lecanemab keeps people in milder disease stages longer.

In January, Toronto's Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre treated Canada's first patient with the drug. A week later, a woman in Montreal received her first infusion.

Why This Inspires

This treatment represents something families have waited decades for: a way to fight back against Alzheimer's instead of just watching it progress. Around 750,000 Canadians are living with the disease, and until now, medications could only ease symptoms temporarily.

Dr. Sonja Blum at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York has been treating patients with lecanemab since 2023. "The earlier the medications are given, people do better, and we see more of a benefit," she says. New data suggests the benefits last long term.

The path forward isn't simple. Provincial drug plans haven't yet committed to covering the $26,000 annual cost per patient. Canada's Drug Agency recommended against public coverage last month, citing costs and the need for frequent MRI scans and biweekly IV infusions.

But the medical community sees genuine promise. After years of failed Alzheimer's drugs, this one actually works. The key is catching patients early enough, which means improving access to brain scans and dementia specialists across the country.

"Health systems in Canada are not yet prepared to deliver these complex therapies equitably," according to the Alzheimer Society of Ontario. Wait times for routine MRIs already stretch over four months.

Still, doctors and families are celebrating this milestone. For the first time, there's a real option to slow the disease that has haunted so many families for generations.