# Alzheimer’s drugs ‘make no meaningful difference to patients’, say researchers

By Prof Tara Spires-Jones — 2026-04-16

Prof Tara Spires-Jones, a fellow at the Academy of Medical Sciences and professor of neurodegeneration at the University of Edinburgh, said: “This review by Nonino and colleagues examined data from randomised control trials of antibodies to amyloid beta, one of the proteins that clumps in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease.

“While reviewing clinical trial data is useful, the authors of this study combined analyses of five drugs that did not succeed in their trials and two drugs that did succeed in slowing disease progression and have been approved to treat early Alzheimer’s disease in several countries.

“The authors’ conclusion that anti-amyloid antibodies do not provide clinically meaningful benefits is weakened by including five drugs that did not pass their clinical trials and are not available.

“Emerging data on long-term use of the approved drugs and careful analyses by regulators including the European Medicines Agency and UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) support the use of two amyloid antibodies, lecanemab and donanemab, to slow decline in early Alzheimer’s disease.

“As the authors of this study point out and as was previously published in the original trials, these drugs are not perfect, they come with risks of serious side effects and only modestly slow progression.

“Due to the limited benefit and high costs accompanied by risks of brain bleeding and swelling, these drugs are not covered by the NHS.

“However, newer research into both more advanced amyloid targeting drugs and other targets shows promise for improved treatments on the horizon.”

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