The Alzheimer Society of Ontario (ASO) said it's pleased following release of positive phase three clinical results for donanemab — a drug developed to slow Alzheimer’s disease progression at early stages. .“Today’s positive result give us hope that this may soon change,” said ASO CEO Cathy Barrick in a press release. .“Our federal and provincial governments must get to work immediately to prepare for the arrival of new treatment options for Alzheimer’s disease.” .Alzheimer’s is fatal, and there is no cure. The United States has two approved treatments to slow its progression, but Canada has none. .Barrick said Ontario would be unable to introduce a treatment for Alzheimer’s even if one were approved as the situation stands. In the near future, she said the lack of preparation and foresight will cost lives. .The ASO sponsored research out of the University of Southern California in 2022, which found the introduction of a disease-modifying therapy for Alzheimer’s in Ontario which could save the province $9.9 billion over 20 years in avoided hospital and long-term care costs. The study said Ontario is not ready for the arrival of a treatment. .With current diagnostic capacity, Ontarians will be waiting seven-and-a-half years to be diagnosed with it by the end of the decade. That's longer than many will live and years too long to make effective use of emerging treatments. .Barrick went on to say the results indicate donanemab must be administered early in disease progression to be effective. That's the case for treatments approved for use in the US. .If and when the treatments become available, she said doctors “will have to fundamentally and radically rethink how we detect and diagnose Alzheimer’s disease.” .Most people living with it do not have a confirmed diagnosis. The release that will not be good enough in the future, as treatment options will be costly and come with fatal side effects. .It said to administer them, there needs to be absolute certainty a person has Alzheimer's. That will involve earlier detection at the primary care level, tens of thousands of additional scans, lumbar punctures, and hundreds more specialists interpreting the results from all of these tests. .Like other drugs, donanemab is anticipated to have associated side effects — some of which could be fatal. The clinical trial results have not been peer reviewed or published in full. .Donanemab has not been approved for use in any jurisdiction. The ASO stands behind Health Canada’s independent review process and encourages anyone with questions about options for their situation to contact their doctor or local Alzheimer’s Society. .Barrick concluded by saying Ontarians affected by dementia are feeling encouraged and optimistic. She said that will “quickly turn to despair and anger when they realize treatments are approved that could change their lives — but their government wasn’t ready in time.” .“Ontario’s lack of readiness for what is coming cannot be overemphasized,” she said. .Researchers at Griffith University in Brisbane demonstrated in October a bacteria can travel through the olfactory nerve in the nose and into the brain in mice, leading to a greater possibility of Alzheimer’s. .READ MORE: Study suggests nose picking could increase risk for Alzheimer’s.“We’re the first to show Chlamydia pneumoniae can go directly up the nose and into the brain where it can set off pathologies that look like Alzheimer’s disease,” said Clem Jones Centre for Neurobiology and Stem Cell Research Head James St John. .The study said there are simple steps people can take to look after their noses if they want to lower their risks for Alzheimer’s. It advised people against picking their noses and plucking hairs from them.
