Cited by 5,678Alzheimer's disease research and treatmentsDementia and Cognitive Impairment ResearchNeuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration Mechanisms

Lecanemab in early Alzheimer's disease

Open access
van Dyck, Christopher H., Swanson, Chad J., Aisen, Paul, Bateman, Randall J., Chen, Christopher, Gee, Michelle, Kanekiyo, Michio, Li, David +11 more·2023·New England Journal of Medicine

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The accumulation of soluble and insoluble aggregated amyloid-beta (Aβ) may initiate or potentiate pathologic processes in Alzheimer's disease. Lecanemab, a humanized IgG1 monoclonal antibody that binds with high affinity to Aβ soluble protofibrils, is being tested in persons with early Alzheimer's disease. METHODS: We conducted an 18-month, multicenter, double-blind, phase 3 trial involving persons 50 to 90 years of age with early Alzheimer's disease (mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia due to Alzheimer's disease) with evidence of amyloid on positron-emission tomography (PET) or by cerebrospinal fluid testing. Participants were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive intravenous lecanemab (10 mg per kilogram of body weight every 2 weeks) or placebo. The primary end point was the change from baseline at 18 months in the score on the Clinical Dementia Rating-Sum of Boxes (CDR-SB; range, 0 to 18, with higher scores indicating greater impairment). Key secondary end points were the change in amyloid burden on PET, the score on the 14-item cognitive subscale of the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale (ADAS-cog14; range, 0 to 90; higher scores indicate greater impairment), the Alzheimer's Disease Composite Score (ADCOMS; range, 0 to 1.97; higher scores indicate greater impairment), and the score on the Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study-Activities of Daily Living Scale for Mild Cognitive Impairment (ADCS-MCI-ADL; range, 0 to 53; lower scores indicate greater impairment). RESULTS: A total of 1795 participants were enrolled, with 898 assigned to receive lecanemab and 897 to receive placebo. The mean CDR-SB score at baseline was approximately 3.2 in both groups. The adjusted least-squares mean change from baseline at 18 months was 1.21 with lecanemab and 1.66 with placebo (difference, -0.45; 95% confidence interval [CI], -0.67 to -0.23; P<0.001). In a substudy involving 698 participants, there were greater reductions in brain amyloid burden with lecanemab than with placebo (difference, -59.1 centiloids; 95% CI, -62.6 to -55.6). Other mean differences between the two groups in the change from baseline favoring lecanemab were as follows: for the ADAS-cog14 score, -1.44 (95% CI, -2.27 to -0.61; P<0.001); for the ADCOMS, -0.050 (95% CI, -0.074 to -0.027; P<0.001); and for the ADCS-MCI-ADL score, 2.0 (95% CI, 1.2 to 2.8; P<0.001). Lecanemab resulted in infusion-related reactions in 26.4% of the participants and amyloid-related imaging abnormalities with edema or effusions in 12.6%. CONCLUSIONS: Lecanemab reduced markers of amyloid in early Alzheimer's disease and resulted in moderately less decline on measures of cognition and function than placebo at 18 months but was associated with adverse events. Longer trials are warranted to determine the efficacy and safety of lecanemab in early Alzheimer's disease. (Funded by Eisai and Biogen; Clarity AD ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT03887455.).

The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.

Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.

A few free checks a day · papers already verified open instantly · results are public

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1056/nejmoa2212948

Cites

27 of 27 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Claims the paper makes

The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.

Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.

A few free checks a day · papers already verified open instantly · results are public

Claims other papers make about this one

Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

  • Phase 2 and phase 3 trials of aducanumab, lecanemab, donanemab, and gantenerumab targeting Aβ required PET or CSF evidence of amyloid pathology for trial enrolment.

    “Phase 2 and phase 3 trials of the monoclonal antibodies -- aducanumab, lecanemab, and donanemab, as well as the discontinued gantenerumab -that target Aβ plaques, fibrils, soluble protofibrils, and oligomeric Aβ species all required PET or CSF evidence of amyloid pathology for trial enrolment. (460-463)”

    From Dementia prevention, intervention, and care: 2024 report of the Lancet standing Commission (2024) · cites this paper as [460]

    The Eligibility Criteria section (page not provided) says that amyloid positivity for the phase 3 lecanemab trial was determined by PET or CSF testing. The paper mentions a phase 2b lecanemab trial and cites studies of aducanumab and donanemab, but it does not establish the stated enrolment requirement for those trials or for gantenerumab trials. (LLM, conf=0.88)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Adding anti-amyloid therapy to ChEI treatment in early-stage Alzheimer's disease can maintain cognitive function better and longer (5-10 years).

    “Adding the anti-amyloid therapy to ChEI treatment in early-stage AD, the cognitive function can be maintained better and longer in the years to come (5-10 years).10”

    From A 2025 update on treatment strategies for the Alzheimer’s disease spectrum (2025) · cites this paper as [10]

    The Trial Design and Oversight section says participants could be taking acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, and Table 2 reports less cognitive decline with lecanemab than placebo at 18 months. The paper does not establish a benefit specifically from adding lecanemab to ChEI treatment or show that cognitive function is maintained for 5–10 years; the Discussion says longer trials are needed. (LLM, conf=0.90)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Anti-amyloid immunotherapy including the FDA-approved monoclonal antibodies lecanemab and donanemab has proven efficacy in slowing cognitive decline in early-stage Alzheimer's disease.

    “The advent of anti-amyloid immunotherapy, including the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA)-approved monoclonal antibodies such as lecanemab and donanemab, has proven efficacy in slowing cognitive decline in early-stage AD.”

    From A 2025 update on treatment strategies for the Alzheimer’s disease spectrum (2025) · cites this paper as [10]

    The Abstract reports moderately less decline in cognition and function with lecanemab than with placebo over 18 months in people with early Alzheimer’s disease. The paper does not report efficacy for donanemab; its introductory section (10) identifies aducanumab, not lecanemab or donanemab, as having received FDA approval. (LLM, conf=0.90)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • The FDA approved lecanemab and donanemab for "early-stage" Alzheimer's disease, encompassing both stage 3 (MCI) and stage 4 (mild dementia).

    “The FDA approved two anti-amyloid immunotherapies, lecanemab and donanemab, for “early-stage” AD, encompassing both stage 3 (MCI) and stage 4 (mild dementia).”

    From A 2025 update on treatment strategies for the Alzheimer’s disease spectrum (2025) · cites this paper as [10]

    The Abstract and Eligibility Criteria define early Alzheimer’s disease in the lecanemab trial as mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia. The paper does not state that the FDA approved lecanemab or donanemab, or identify these conditions as stages 3 and 4; its introduction mentions accelerated FDA approval of aducanumab instead. (LLM, conf=0.87)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Anti-amyloid immunotherapy with lecanemab or donanemab is now considered as an add-on therapy for mild Alzheimer's disease.

    “Anti-amyloid immunotherapy with lecanemab or donanemab is now considered as an add-on therapy.10,20”

    From A 2025 update on treatment strategies for the Alzheimer’s disease spectrum (2025) · cites this paper as [10]

    The Trial Design and Oversight section studied lecanemab in people with early Alzheimer’s disease and allowed concomitant approved symptomatic medications, supporting its potential use alongside existing treatment. The paper does not establish that lecanemab is now considered an add-on therapy in clinical practice, and it does not establish that claim for donanemab. (LLM, conf=0.85)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

Self-check

Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.

The self-check needs the paper’s full text.

Cites

Flagged first, then by citations

Research works printed but not linked: 1

  1. [25]25. Fleisher AS, Chen K, Liu X, et al. Us- ing positron emission tomography and florbetapir F18 to image cortical amyloid in patients with mild cognitive impair- ment or dementia due to Alzheimer dis- ease. Arch Neurol 2011; 68: 1404-11.

Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
van Dyck, C. H., Swanson, C. J., Aisen, P., Bateman, R. J., Chen, C., Gee, M., Kanekiyo, M., Li, D., Reyderman, L., Cohen, S., Froelich, L., Katayama, S., Sabbagh, M., Vellas, B., Watson, D., Dhadda, S., Irizarry, M., Kramer, L. D., & Iwatsubo, T.
Affiliations
  • From the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Unit, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT (C.H.D.); Eisai, Nutley, NJ (C.J.S., M.K., D.L., L.R., S.D., M.I., L.D.K.); the Alzheimer’s Therapeutic Research Institute, University of Southern California, San Diego (P.A.); Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis (R.B.); the Memory, Aging, and Cognition Center, Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore (C.C.); Eisai, Hatfield, United Kingdom (M.G.); Toronto Memory Program, Toronto (S.C.); Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim, Germany (L.F.); Katayama Medical Clinic, Okayama (S.K.), and the Department of Neuropathology, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo, and the National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo (T.I.) — all in Japan; Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, AZ (M.S.); Toulouse Gerontopole University Hospital, Université Paul Sabatier, INSERM Uni...
  • University of Southern California (US)
Venue
New England Journal of Medicine
Published
2023-01-05
Volume
388
Issue
1
Pages
9-21
ISSN
  • 0028-4793 (ISSN-L)
  • 1533-4406
OpenAlex
W4310461604
Cited by
5,678
References
27
Citations by year
2026: 1501 · 2025: 1653 · 2024: 1577 · 2023: 927 · 2022: 17 · 2021: 1 · 2012: 2
FWCI
652.24
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • New England Journal of Medicine (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Digital Commons@Becker (Washington University School of Medicine) (submittedVersion)
  • HAL (submittedVersion)
Funders
Eisai
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Alzheimer's disease research and treatments
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Neurology › Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration Mechanisms
Keywords
lecanemab, early Alzheimer's disease, amyloid-beta protofibrils, anti-amyloid monoclonal antibodies, amyloid PET, mild cognitive impairment, mild dementia, CDR-SB, cognitive decline, brain amyloid burden, cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers, adverse events, anti-drug antibodies, immunogenicity, Alzheimer's disease
MeSH terms
Activities of Daily Living, Alzheimer Disease, Cognition, Double-Blind Method, Humans, Amyloid beta-Peptides, Nootropic Agents, Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized

About these checks

Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.

Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.

What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›

Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review