Alzheimer’s disease outlook: controversies and future directions
Frisoni GB, Aho E, Brayne C, Ciccarelli O, Dubois B, Fox NC, Frederiksen KS, Gabay C, Garibotto V, Hofmarcher T, Jack Jr CR, Kivipelto M, Petersen RC, Ribaldi F, Rowe CC, Walsh S, Zetterberg H, Hansson O
Thomas Hofmarcher at the IHE contributed to The Lancet Series on the new clinical landscape in Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). Authored by 40 leading experts, the three-paper series summarizes our current understanding and highlights crucial next steps in diagnostics, treatment and prevention of AD.
Key messages are the following:
- New antibody treatments can slow down AD and have similar levels of effectiveness as other modern medicines.
- To use these treatments effectively, doctors need thorough testing, including brain scans and blood tests, along with memory and thinking assessments.
- Managing AD symptoms beyond memory loss requires expert assessment of their causes and prioritization of treatment strategies to maximize quality of life for patients and caregivers.
- Preventing AD before symptoms start is becoming possible through personalized programs.
- Considering these developments, experts are debating the future approach to AD, which will affect diagnosis and care approaches including how best to utilize the new antibody medications.
IHE’s contribution was to the final paper of the series, which discusses contrasting views, all of which wish to contribute to improvements in the quality of life of people with, or at risk of, AD. It contrasts the efficacy, societal costs, and generalizability of monoclonal antibodies for AD to biologics for other conditions (cancer, multiple sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis) and sets this debate in the larger context of modern personalized medicine.
Read more and download the article
The Lancet, 2025, 406(10510): 1424–42
DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(25)01389-3
