Experimental Alzheimer's drug giving renewed hope ahead of Silicon Valley event
SAN JOSE -- More than six million Americans are living with Alzheimer's Disease but a new possible treatment has emerged that could slow its progression.
Hundreds of people will take part in Silicon Valley's Walk to End Alzheimer's Saturday. They'll be doing it with some new hope thanks to the experimental drug now in clinical trials.
You'll often find Tammy Maida in her backyard, clippers in hand, trimming the flowers and bushes so the best parts can shine.
"For me, that's equivalent to reminding myself that even though I have Alzheimer's, there's still a lot of me left. It's like a rose bush. Maybe I take away some of my negativity, and my positivity can shine," she said.
Maida was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's disease five years ago. She's kept her diagnosis close to home for a while but is now ready to open up. She'll be giving a speech during the 2022 Silicon Valley Walk to End Alzheimer's.
"I was chosen and asked this year to represent the Alzheimer's 'blue flower,' and I consider that quite an honor," she said. "I hope that my doing so will allow other people to realize it's okay to share your story. That's the only way we're going to find a cure."
She'll be speaking at a time where there is new hope on the horizon.
Clinical trials for a new experimental drug called Lecanemab have shown to slow the progression of cognitive decline among patients with early Alzheimer's by 27%. The drug doesn't cure the disease, but shows promise in slowing the progression of it.
"The hope that it brings is really unexplainable. It's like every joyous occasion in your life laid in your lap," Maida said.
Though there are existing treatments available, there isn't a treatment for Alzheimer's available yet that slows the progression of the disease, said Dr. Elizabeth Edgerly, executive director for the Alzheimer's Association of Northern California.
"This is a gamechanger," she said. "Any day where there is potential for a new treatment for Alzheimer's is a good day."
Edgerly acknowledged the fact that the treatment isn't a sure thing yet.
"We want to be careful not to go too far in our celebration," she said.
However, she says it shows serious promise to deliver one of the most important things to a person living with Alzheimer's, and to those around them.
"It certainly gives all of us hope that we might have more time," Edgerly said. "If diagnosed early, there's a way to slow the progression, buying maybe six months, 12 months, or maybe even more, to do the things that we all want to do – go to that family wedding, celebrate a grandchild's birth."
Maida says time is everything.
"I want the clock to slow down so that I have more time," she said. "Time to be with my loved ones, but also, time to share this story, time to be a pioneer along with everybody else with this disease to make a really big difference."
Maida knows Lecanemab isn't available yet, and it may not be for her. But knowing that it could make a difference for others down the road gives her strength.
"I absolutely believe in my heart that it's a gamechanger," she said. "Any drug out there – Lecanimab in particular – that could even slow down the progression of the disease, even if it's only for a short period of time, I believe it's going to change the trajectory of that person's life and those around them."
Her path now means sharing her story, and always appreciating what tomorrow has to bring.
"Tomorrow is really an important word for me," she said. "Knowing that I have tomorrow to live another day, to love the people who are in my life, to just do all I can."
The Silicon Valley Walk to End Alzheimer's is on Saturday, October 15th, at Excite Ballpark in San Jose. Registration opens at 8:00 a.m. The ceremony starts at 9:15 a.m., and the walk begins at 9:30 a.m.
