Alzheimer’s Research UK has hailed a new dementia drug as a “major step forward for dementia research”.

The results of the clinical trial of the lecanemab drug by pharmaceutical company, Eisai, which were reported at the Clinical Trials on Alzheimer’s Disease Conference in San Francisco, were published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The results show the drug was able to slow the rate of decline in people’s memory and thinking as well as function over 18 months, and also helped people with day-to-day activities.

Dr Susan Kohlhaas, director of research at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “These exciting findings represent a major step forward for dementia research and could herald a new era for people with Alzheimer’s disease. This is the first time a drug has been shown to both reduce the disease in the brain and slow memory decline in clinical trials.”

Noting the drug has been associated with “severe side effects”, however, Dr Kohlhaas stressed it will be important for regulators to understand the safety profile of the drug before it is given a full license for use.

Dr Kohlhaas added the NHS was not ready for a new era of dementia treatment estimating that only 2% of eligible people will be able to access the drug.

“We recommend, through the new Dementia Mission, the government take urgent steps to bring together regulators, industry, clinicians and decision-makers in our health system to put a clear plan in place to ensure people in the UK are among the first in the world to access new treatments once they are licensed,” she said.