Health Canada approves drug that slows progression of Alzheimer’s disease

Health Canada has for the first time approved a disease-modifying drug for Alzheimer’s disease, a watershed moment that offers hope for patients but does not guarantee that the complex and expensive intravenous therapy will be widely available in this country.

The federal regulator on Friday granted a conditional authorization for lecanemab, an antibody drug that can slow the progression of the disease for some people with mild cognitive impairment or early-stage dementia owing to Alzheimer’s.