Biden needs Lilly's new Alzheimer's treatment
President Trump enthusiastically touts his support of the Right to Try law, passed in May 2018. Ironically, it may benefit one of his main political adversaries.
In what is a glorious development for elders and their caregivers, Eli Lilly's Alzheimer's treatment, donanemab, slowed the disease's progression in a pivotal phase 3 trial.
A monthly antibody infusion reduced brain plaque associated with Alzheimer's. In fact, patients in the trial demonstrated a 35% slower decline in memory.
As pointed out by Barrons's Josh Nathan-Kazis, the drug's efficacy marks "an extraordinary moment in the decades-long struggle to find treatments for Alzheimer's."
Having missed the trial itself, Biden is a strong candidate for early donanemab infusions, pending FDA approval.
Of course, Biden was a blithering idiot long before he became demented due to excessive brain plaque. Nevertheless, submitting the cognitively terminal Biden to donanemab treatments may allay some of Nikki Haley's concerns about his longevity.
Since donanemab is not yet approved or licensed, it may fit the drug criteria for Right to Try. Certainly, the wayward mind that interacts with Joe Biden's ravaged brain fits the FDA patient criteria — to wit: "For patients with serious or immediately life-threatening diseases or conditions, the FDA remains committed to enhancing access to promising investigational medicines for those unable to access investigational medical products through clinical trials."
Pending Eli Lilly's application for FDA approval of donanemab, Biden's doctor should consult with Eli Lilly and expedite electronic submission of an Investigational New Drug application, as appropriate — or whatever is needed to get Biden on the medical bed for his intravenous infusions.
Defiantly (incongruously, given his poll numbers), Biden plans to run again in 2024, even though a wide majority of Americans from across the political spectrum say he's way too old. Since the nasty old curmudgeon won't submit to a cognitive test, perhaps his doctors will share evidence of his plaque clearance as measured by PET scans.
The donanemab side-effects — chills, flushing, dizziness, brain swelling...more Kamala as Biden recuperates — can't be much worse than the symptoms Biden already exhibits. Indeed, as Eli Lilly's CEO puts it, "[e]very day that goes by, there are some patients who pass through this early stage of Alzheimer's disease and become more advanced and they won't benefit from treatment ... [t]hat's a very pressing sense of urgency."
Biden's mental deterioration represents a very pressing sense of urgency. He needs treatment — now. Get that IND application, or whatever bureaucratic paperwork is needed, going.
Image: Lilly.