LISTEN: An Atlanta man is among the first being treated with a new medication designed to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s. GPB’s Ellen Eldridge reports.
A year and a half ago, George King of Atlanta was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, a degenerative disease of dementia, but the 78-year-old said his symptoms have since improved in some ways.
In an interesting coincidence, his diagnosis came around the same time the U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave its approval of Leqembi to treat patients with mild cognitive impairment or dementia.
The drug works by reducing amyloid plaques that form in the brain, the presence of which is a defining feature of the disease.
King began Leqembi as soon as Medicare covered it, about a year ago.
Changes in the brain associated with Alzheimer's include amyloid beta plaque buildup, which Leqembi addresses, as well as a loss of neurons and their connections.
The irreversible, progressive brain disorder affects more than 6.5 million Americans, slowly destroying memory and cognitive skills.
"I barely have a short-term memory," King said, describing how he can veer off topic when something triggers a memory, and then wonder where he was. "Otherwise, I feel pretty sharp."
King ascribes this to his self awareness of living with this disease and subsequent logistical and psychological adaptions; taking another medication, Aricept, which he believes may have sharpened his thinking because the drug acts like the stimulant Ritalin.
"Whereas, I cannot say that Leqembi is not a contributory factor, I believe that it is providing the benefits claimed by its manufacturers in slowing the progress of the disease rather than improving my condition," King said.
He and his domestic partner continue to travel and enjoy every moment in life.
"You learn workarounds, and you learn to sort of deal with problems in a different way," King said. "Because now you understand something about why your short-term memory is problematic."
His diagnosis is a tool.
"The bottom line is, I don't think they know what this drug can do because there's no longitudinal testing," King said. "I mean, nobody's been taking it, even the test groups, for more than two or three years.
When people ask King how he feels, he says "fine," but as far as whether he feels better needs a qualifier.
"The real answer is, 'Well, I didn't expect to feel better; I expected not to feel worse,'" King said. "I must say, I do feel more focused than when I was diagnosed."
King said he believes his continued travel and new experiences are also helping his brain fight decline.
This article has been updated to clarify George King's position on Leqembi after taking the drug to slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease.
