Health Canada authorizes long-awaited drug to slow early

TORONTO — Health Canada has authorized a drug shown to slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease.

Lecanemab is the first medication approved in Canada that targets the buildup of amyloid plaque in the brain, which is believed to be an underlying cause of Alzheimer's disease.

The drug is a lab-made antibody that binds to the amyloid proteins and helps neutralize and clear them from the brain.

Lecanemab must be administered in the early stages of dementia when there is mild cognitive impairment.

Adam Morrison, a spokesperson for the Alzheimer Society of Ontario, says patients and their families have been anxiously awaiting the approval of lecanemab — also known by its brand name Leqembi — in Canada.

Morrison said Alzheimer societies are urging Canada's Drug Agency and provincial gover