Amyloid Targeting Therapies
Donanemab & Lecanemab
A NEW advancement in the TREATMENT
of alzheimer's disease
“As a cognitive neurologist who has been seeing patients with Alzheimer's disease for over a decade, I am thrilled to be able to offer patients diagnosed with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease the latest in effective treatment options to slow the progression of the disease."
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"While previous treatments only ease symptoms, these newly licensed drugs can now slow the disease’s progression for certain patients. Clinical trials showed Donanemab (Kisunla™) reduced the rate of cognitive decline by up to 37% . Access to comprehensive treatment programmes, like the one we have established at London Bridge Hospital, can greatly impact patients’ journeys.”
Dr Johnathan Chan
Consultant Neurologist and Dementia Specialist
What are Amyloid Targeting Therapies (ATT)?
Amyloid Targeting Therapies are the first in a class of disease-modifying drugs for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. For the first time in therapeutic history, we now have pharmaceutical treatments that directly impact on the underlying pathological mechanisms in the brain that cause progression of the condition.
ATTs are a form of monoclonal antibody treatment (proteins that helps your immune system target specific proteins for removal) designed to remove a protein called amyloid beta from the brain. Amyloid beta is an important protein involved in the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.
Amyloid Targeting Therapies do not cure Alzheimer’s disease, but they are shown to modestly slow the rate of progression in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI-AD) or early-stage dementia caused by Alzheimer’s disease (mild AD). After an 18-month course of treatment, currently available Amyloid Targeting Therapies can slow the rate of progression of your symptoms by up to one third (35%).
It is important to understand that although they have been demonstrated to delay the progression of the condition, this does not mean that you are going to experience in yourself an improvement in your current symptoms whilst on these treatments. Your condition will continue to progress, although at a slower rate than if you are not taking the treatment.
Amyloid seen on a PET scan
DONANEMAB and LECANEMAB
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There are currently two Amyloid Targeting Therapies, approved in the UK since early 2025, for the treatment of MCI-AD or mild AD. These are currently only available privately as they have not been approved for use in the NHS due to the costs of these treatments.
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These treatments are not currently reimbursed by private medical insurance and are available only as self-pay treatments.
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Find out more about accessing these treatments in the UK under Dr Chan at HCA Healthcare at London Bridge Hospital.
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Donanemab (Kisunla™)
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Lecanemab (Leqembi®)
What does treatment with
Donanemab or Lecanemab involve?
How is the treatment given?
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Both Donanemab and Lecanemab are given as intravenous infusions and this is done as a day-case visit in an infusion suite at the London Bridge Hospital.
Each infusion takes up to an hour. How regularly you have the infusion depends on which treatment you choose:
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If you are on Donanemab, you’ll have an infusion every four weeks.
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If you are on Lecanemab, you’ll have an infusion every two weeks.
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How long do I have to be on treatment?
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If you are on Donanemab, you will only have a maximum of 18 months of treatment. If you have a repeat Amyloid PET scan at 6 or 12 months that shows sufficient clearance of amyloid protein in your brain, you can also stop the treatment then.
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If you are on Lecanemab, you will continue with this treatment for 18 months. After 18 months, you will switch to maintenance treatment which is given every 4 weeks and you will remain on treatment unless you progress to a moderate stage of Alzheimer's disease.
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What are the risks of treatment?
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Amyloid-targeting therapies can cause a side effect known as amyloid related imaging abnormalities, or ARIA for short. ARIA involve leakiness of the blood vessels in your brain which leads to brain bleeding or swelling, or a combination of both.
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Your risk of ARIA depends on a gene known as the APOE gene. People with two copies of the E4 version of this gene are at a much higher risk of ARIA than people who have only one or no copies of the gene. In the UK, the MHRA has disallowed the use of amyloid-targeting therapies in people with two copies of the APOE4 gene version to significantly reduce the risks of treatment. Before starting on treatment, we’ll carry out a genetic test to make sure you have either one or no copies of the e4 gene to check that you are able to have the treatment.
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If you do not have two copies of the E4 gene version, although up to 1 in 3 people can develop ARIA, only up to 3 in 50 people will develop symptoms from it and less than 1 in 50 people will have serious complications from it.
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In the majority of cases, ARIA is very mild and does not cause any symptoms. You will also be having regular MRI scans during the first 6 months of treatment to screen for ARIA as this is when it is most likely to occur.
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What tests do I need before I can start on treatment?
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Unless you have already had these done, you are likely to require the following tests before we know that you qualify for treatment:
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Amyloid PET scan.
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APOE gene test.
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Baseline pre-treatment MRI brain scan.
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Can there be reasons that make me unsuitable for these treatments?
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Yes. As mentioned, if your genetic status shows that you have two E4 versions of the APOE gene, you will not be able to have this treatment in the UK. Other reasons that affect your eligibility for these treatments include being on anticoagulation treatment, having persistently uncontrolled blood pressure, and having a cardiac pacemaker, amongst a range of criteria that you need to meet. You must also only be in the early stage of Alzheimer's disease as the treatment is not suitable for people who are already in the moderate or late stages of the condition.
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Do you accept overseas patients for treatment?
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Yes, we do. However, this depends on the country you are from and we recommend that you enquire about this directly with us before booking your appointment.​​
HCA London bridge hospital
All of your dementia assessments and treatments will be carried out at London Bridge Hospital, a distinguished centre for excellence in healthcare in the centre of London, and part of the HCA Healthcare UK network of private hospitals.
Learn more about the similarities and differences between Dementia and Alzheimer's Disease.
Find out more about our delivery of Amyloid Targeting Treatments at London Bridge Hospital.
See our press releases on the new Amyloid Targeting Treatments:
Donamemab and Lecanemab.
