New Alzheimer’s treatments are helping slow disease progression, especially when diagnosed early. Experts at University of Utah Health emphasize early evaluation to maximize benefit, and they are expanding treatment access to patients across Utah and the Mountain West.
Quick Q&A: What to Know about New Alzheimer’s Treatments
What are the newest treatments for Alzheimer’s disease?
New therapies, like the anti-amyloid drugs lecanemab and donanemab, can slow disease progression in early stages.
Why is early diagnosis important?
Early diagnosis allows patients to access treatments sooner, when they are most effective.
Who should consider evaluation?
Adults experiencing memory changes or with family history should speak with a specialist.
For decades, an Alzheimer’s diagnosis came with few options and difficult conversations. Today, that is beginning to change.
At University of Utah Health, neurologists are using a new class of treatments that can slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. It offers patients and families something that hasn’t existed before: meaningful intervention early in the disease.
“We can now tell patients not only that they have Alzheimer’s disease, but that we have treatment,” says Nick Frost, MD, a cognitive neurologist in the Department of Neurology.
That shift, from diagnosis alone to diagnosis with action, is at the center of new research conducted at the university by Frost, along with lead author Bethany Curd, MS, and other colleagues. Their study, published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment & Disease Monitoring, examines how one treatment performs in real-world clinical care.
New Alzheimer’s Treatments Can Slow Disease Progression
The research team focused on lecanemab, one of two new medications designed to target and reduce beta amyloid, a protein that builds up in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease.
In clinical trials, these medications were shown to slow cognitive decline by about 25–30%. But clinical trials don’t always reflect the realities of everyday care.
“We wanted to understand how these drugs perform outside of a highly controlled research setting,” Frost says.
The researchers analyzed outcomes for 70 patients treated with lecanemab between April 2023 and July 2025. The study is among the first to evaluate how these therapies work in a real-world population, and findings were encouraging. Outcomes aligned with, or in some cases exceeded, the 25–30% slowing of decline observed in clinical trials.
Accessing Alzheimer’s Treatment Closer to Home
For patients across Utah and neighboring states, access to specialized care can be a barrier. Many live hours away from Salt Lake City, making frequent visits difficult.
Lecanemab requires regular infusions (every two weeks), careful monitoring, follow-up imaging, and medication adjustments, especially early on in the course of treatment.
“We see patients from across the Mountain West,” Frost says. “It’s not practical for someone to drive eight or nine hours every two weeks for treatment.”
To address this issue, the researchers developed a decentralized care model supported by a multidisciplinary team of physicians, nurses, and care coordinators. Patients in the study received infusions closer to home while continuing to meet with U of U neurologists either in person or via telehealth.
The study found that this approach was not only feasible but safe.
Patients who received care through this hybrid model did not experience higher rates of complications, demonstrating that high-quality Alzheimer’s treatment can safely extend beyond major academic centers. This approach is expanding access to patients who might otherwise go untreated.
Safety and Side Effects of Alzheimer’s Treatments
Like any medical treatment, new Alzheimer’s therapies carry risks.
“Everything in medicine is this: weighing risks versus benefits,” Dr. Frost explained. “In the case of these amyloid-targeting therapies, the risks we worry about are primarily amyloid-related imaging abnormalities, or ARIA. That's just a polite way of saying bleeding or swelling in the brain.”
ARIA is typically detected through routine MRI scans rather than symptoms.
In the U of U study, ARIA occurred less frequently than expected based on clinical trial data. And, importantly, no patients experienced serious symptoms.
“The reason we monitor so closely is to make sure patients remain safe,” Frost says. “In our experience, these treatments have been very well tolerated.”
What Is ARIA?
ARIA (amyloid-related imaging abnormalities) refers to changes seen on brain imaging that can occur when amyloid is cleared from the brain.
- It may involve temporary swelling or small areas of bleeding
- Most cases are asymptomatic (patients don’t feel any different)
- It is monitored through routine MRI scans during treatment
- Care teams adjust treatment as needed to maintain safety
Early Diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Is Critical for Treatment
While the availability of treatment is a major step forward, timing is critical.
“These drugs don’t reverse Alzheimer’s disease,” Frost explains. “They slow its progression. The earlier we start, the more impact they can have.”
The treatments are currently approved for patients in the earliest stages of the disease, when symptoms are mild and individuals are still largely independent.
Research suggests that patients treated early may see even greater benefit than the average reported in clinical trials.
“If you look at all patients [taking lecanemab], they do about 25–30% better,” says Frost. “But if you look at patients who are really early on in the disease, when tau [protein plaque] hasn’t spread throughout the brain, they do 60–65% better.”
For patients with mild cognitive impairment, that means treatment can significantly reduce the likelihood of progressing to more advanced stages of dementia, preserving independence and quality of life.
As Frost stated, “It decreases the odds that people will transition from mild dementia to moderate dementia by close to 50%.”
Don’t Wait to Seek Care
Memory changes can be easy to dismiss, but early evaluation can make a significant difference.
If you or a loved one is experiencing symptoms of memory loss or cognitive decline, talk to a health care provider. New treatments are changing what’s possible, but they work best when Alzheimer’s disease is detected early.
Not all patients are candidates for these therapies. A comprehensive evaluation is required to determine eligibility.
How do I find out more?
- Learn more about Alzheimer's disease
- Request an appointment