The 6 Biggest Advances in Alzheimer’s Treatment Made in 2024

As we head into 2025 let's take a moment to appreciate the many advances in dementia and Alzheimer's treatment that were made in 2024. With each year, and each day, increased understanding of this condition emerges and that in turn leads to faster diagnoses and more effective treatments. If you're having a rough time feeling optimistic about the future, I hope the achievements below help you see that there is light at the end of the tunnel and there is reason for hope.

1. A new Alzheimer’s drug was approved

In July, the FDA approved Kisunla (donanemab) as new treatment for people with Mild Cognitive Impairment. 1,736 early stage Alzheimer's patients were put through a double-blind test in which Kisunla recipients showed a statistically significant reduction in cognitive decline. This is the first drug to target amyloid plaques — the protein are suspected of being the main cause of Alzheimer's - by binding to and reducing their number. This means that we now have more reason to seek early diagnosis and hope for effective treatment!

Kisunla Trial participants with early stage Alzheimer's showed between 20%-29% better cognitive performance according to three cognitive test scales, after 76 weeks. Image courtesy FDA, Kisunla "Highlights of Prescribing Information"

2. Help Is (Finally) On The Way

97% of dementia caregivers polled by the Alzheimer's Association expressed the need for help navigating the healthcare system and coordination of care. In response to the urgently growing demand, congress passed the Comprehensive Care for Alzheimer's Act, which proposes a new approach to dementia care management covering care coordination and navigation, caregiver education and support, and alternative payment models for physician reimbursement. As a result, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services launched a pilot program called the Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience (GUIDE), which will focus on providing trained resources through the healthcare and social system that can help Alzheimer's patients and caregivers get the support, guidance and respite they need, with a focus on helping patients remain in their homes and communities for as long as possible.

The GUIDE outlines the current hardships of the Alzheimer's Caregiver Journey and outlines a streamlined and compassionate future.

3. Advances In Direct Treatment Of The Brain

Magic bubbles are on the horizon! In 2024 research took us one big step closer to being able to manipulate the brain without the pain, cost and risk of surgery. Focused Ultrasound Therapy  is a technique in which fine ultrasound waves and microbubbles are used to safely open the Blood Brain Barrier and enable enhanced delivery of anti-amyloid antibodies straight to the brain. Studies suggest that this combination method of ultrasound, microbubbles and anti-amyloid antibodies can reduce the number of plaques and improve cognition in Alzheimer’s disease. Furthermore, it appears that ultrasound and microbubbles on their own can be beneficial for brain health and cognition.

Visual representation of how a Focused Ultrasound helmet delivers medication past the skull, through the Blood Brain Barrier and into the brain. Image courtesy Springer Nature "“Focused Ultrasound-mediated Drug Delivery in Humans – a Path Towards Translation in Neurodegenerative Diseases”

4. A Revolutionary Alzheimer's Treatment Has Cleared 2nd Trial

Improving the bodies ability to process sugar cause system wide health improvement, including cognitive. Image courtesy Wroclaw Medical University, "Bi Z, Wang L, Wang W. Evaluating the effects of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists on cognitive function in Alzheimer’s disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Adv Clin Exp Med. 2023;32(11):1223–1231. doi:10.17219/acem/161734"

Thus far, most Alzheimer's treatments have focused on preventing or decreasing the build up of Amyloid Plaques in the brain. GLP-1 therapy is the first treatment that takes another approach that is proving hopeful. GLP-1 agonists are a class of medications that control blood sugar (Ozempic is a primary example) but 2 clinical trials have shown that they can also protect the brains of lab animals from the physical changes caused by Alzheimer's, such as brain shrinkage, sugar processing function and plaque buildup, reducing the cognitive decline by as much as 18% after one year of treatment.

5. No more painful spinal taps, costly PET scans and ambiguity soon

Blood test with as much as 90% accuracy in detecting Alzheimer's have been developed and should be available in clinics soon

Now that we have motivation to seek early diagnosis, we also are on the horizon of speedier and more accurate tests. Studies have shown that blood tests can provide higher accuracy of diagnosis, which could help fast-track access to cutting edge trials and treatments. Blood tests have completed successful testing at the research level and the next step is getting FDA approval for implementation at clinics nationwide.

6. Further Evidence That Environmental Factors Affect The Onset of Dementia

Proactive air quality measures can have a real impact on whether or not you develop Alzheimer's

The results of a 10 year study found that air pollution, in particular wildfire smoke, is linked to an increased risk of dementia. Now why would that be an exciting discovery? Because it means that Alzheimer's isn't only a genetic condition - it's also heavily impacted by factors we have control over - like our environment. So if you live in a wildfire prone area one proactive step you can take today to prevent Alzheimer's is buy a high quality air filter. You can also spread awareness of how income and racial disparities unfairly expose working class and minority populations to increased air pollution, leading to policy change and better health for all.