New Delhi: With Alzheimer’s cases on the rise in India, medical experts called for greater awareness of the neurodegenerative condition and its impact on cognition, communication and everyday life, emphasising the need to recognise the disease in its early stages, when its progression can be slowed or delayed.
Speaking at an event jointly hosted by pharma major Eli Lilly and corporate hospital chain Fortis Healthcare, Dr Vinit Banga, Director and HOD, Neurology, Fortis Escorts, Faridabad, said, “Alzheimer’s is a complex, progressive neurological disorder that can gradually affect a person’s ability to communicate, make decisions and function independently.”
“Increasing awareness and encouraging patients to seek medical guidance early may help delay disease progression and maintain their quality of life.” he added.
Currently, India is estimated to have around 8.8 million people living with Alzheimer’s disease, and the burden is expected to double over the next decade.
Experts stress that a sedentary lifestyle and risk factors such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease, may make people more vulnerable to the condition as the population ages and life expectancy increases.
However, Dr Sahil Kohli, Additional Director, Neurology, Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurugram, outlined, “not every instance of memory loss is a sign of dementia. multitasking, lack of sleep and stress can also contribute to forgetfulness and do not necessarily indicate Alzheimer’s disease.”
Drawing from his clinical practice, he said he had seen many patients seek medical advice out of concern over memory problems. He emphasised that greater awareness of the condition is essential to encourage timely medical consultation to improve outcomes and address its growing burden.
On the clinical impact of the newly launched disease-modifying drugs — Lilly’s Lormalzi and Eisai’s Leqembi — Dr Kohli said that real-world evidence is still limited, as these drugs have only recently begun to be prescribed to patients who meet the clinical criteria (confirmed amyloid buildup).
While Lormalzi (donanemab) is administered as a monthly treatment for up to 18 cycles and targets established amyloid plaques, Leqembi (lecanemab) is given every two weeks and targets early-stage soluble amyloids.
Both drugs require confirmed amyloid pathology before initiation, along with ongoing patient monitoring for treatment response and management of potential side effects.
“We pick and choose based on the risk factors and side-effect profiles of the two drugs. However, one must remember that these treatments cater only to patients in the early stages of the disease, while those in the later stages have no other option apart from symptomatic treatment,” Dr Kohli said.
