A number of new drugs in the pre-approval pipeline are on track to “transform” treatments for dementia, Parkinson’s disease and other ailments, according to the authors of a 2023 overview.
In its 10th annual Drugs to Watch report, the British-American analytics company Clarivate selected pre-launch drugs and biologics that it said are likely “to achieve blockbuster status in the next five years or transform paradigms to meet unmet patient needs.”
Among the 15 drugs featured this year, a number could have a positive impact on senior care, including:
- The dementia drugs Leqembi and Donanemab, which treat early-stage Alzheimer’s disease by clearing brain plaques. Leqembi (lecanemab), made by Eisai and Biogen, recently was greenlit for accelerated approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Donanemab is awaiting late-stage clinical trial results.
- Foscarbidopa/foslevodopa from AbbVie. A new reformulation of the gold-standard Parkinson’s disease treatment carbidopa/levodopa, it treats motor symptoms of Parkinson’s and is delivered via an infusion pump. It serves a high-risk group of patients who are not well treated by oral medication.
- Daprodustat from GSK, an oral treatment for chronic kidney disease-related anemia, which “has a high incidence rate and few effective, safe treatment options,” the report’s authors noted. The FDA is expected to render a verdict on daprodustat approval February 1.
- Mirikizumab, from Eli Lilly and Company, is likely to become a first-in-its-class treatment for ulcerative colitis and the third drug in its class approved for Crohn’s disease, the authors reported. Clinical trials showed that it resolves inflammation in the colon. In a phase 3 trial, 50% of patients achieved clinical remission from Crohn’s within a year, the company reported.
The full report can be accessed on Clarivate’s website.
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