There’s a New Drug for Patients with Alzheimer’s—and You Need to Be Alert for Its Adverse Effects

Patients, families, and providers who treat individuals who have Alzheimer’s disease were likely encouraged to learn that lecanemab-irmb (Leqembi) received full approve from the Food and Drug Administration because of its potential to slow progress of the disease. Any excitement was soon tempered by warnings that the drug’s side effects could be severe, however—so much so that some patients (such as those on blood thinners) may not be candidates to take it at all. Some of the potential adverse effects of lecanemab-irmb coincide with relatively common urgent care presentations. As such, it’s essential for the UC provider to ask patients who have Alzheimer’s and who present with headache, new rash, or nausea/vomiting if they’ve been prescribed and are taking lecanemab. The full list of side effects of treatment are available in the approved Important Safety Information on the manufacturer’s product website. The greatest dangers from treatment include potential for bleeding or swelling in the brain.