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Brain Health & Memory

Kisunla (Donanemab) for Treating Alzheimer’s Disease

A new medication for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease called donanemab (branded Kisunla) has been approved by the FDA and is being offered to patients at University Hospitals. Donanemab has shown significant promise in clinical trials and may be a treatment option for patients with mild cognitive impairment and mild dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease.


Talk to Your Neurologist

If you or a loved one have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, ask your neurologist if donanemab might be an appropriate treatment option.

Find a Doctor

For more information on the Donanemab infusion program, call Rebecca DiFranco at 216-464-6203.

Donanemab is not a cure for Alzheimer’s disease, and there is no evidence this or any other treatment can restore or reverse lost memories or cognitive function. However, in eligible patients, donanemab may slow progression of the disease, enhance their ability to participate in daily life and allow them to live independently longer.


How Does Donanemab Work?

People with Alzheimer’s disease have an abnormal buildup of plaques in their brain that contain a protein called beta-amyloid. Donanemab is an intravenous medication designed to target and remove these plaques.

The second drug therapy after Lecanemab to obtain FDA approval to address the potential underlying cause of Alzheimer’s, donanemab therapy has the potential to slow cognitive and functional decline if started in the early stages of the disease. The medication is administered every four weeks through IV infusion, each infusion lasting about 30 minutes. Patients are monitored after each infusion, usually for around 30 minutes, to see if they have any negative reactions to the drug.


Who Is Eligible For Donanemab Therapy?

Patients with symptoms of early Alzheimer’s disease and the confirmed presence of beta-amyloid plaques in the brain may be eligible for treatment with donanemab. The therapy has not been tested on people with advanced Alzheimer’s or those without clinical symptoms. Early symptoms of Alzheimer’s may include:

  • Mild cognitive impairment (forgetfulness and confusion)
  • Mild dementia (difficulty performing familiar tasks)

Although there is no single diagnostic test to confirm Alzheimer’s disease, physicians may use a variety of approaches to help them make a diagnosis and determine if treatment with donanemab might be appropriate.

Tests and procedures for diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease may include:

  • Comprehensive personal and family medical history
  • Mental status tests
  • Physical and neurological exams
  • Blood tests
  • Spinal tap to remove a sample of cerebrospinal fluid for testing
  • MRI of the brain
  • PET scan of the brain to look for the presence of beta-amyloid plaques

Donanemab Treatment FAQ

Meet the Team

Charles Duffy, MD, PhD

(4.8), 41 Reviews

Mohamed Elkasaby, MD

(4.8), 15 Reviews
  • Neurology, Neurology-Behavioral Neurology and Neuropsychiatry, Neurology-Movement Disorders
  • Cleveland (0 mi.)

Rajeet Shrestha, MD

  • Psychiatry-Adult Psychiatry
  • Solon (12 mi.)
    Cleveland (1 mi.)
    South Euclid (4 mi.)
    Beachwood (7 mi.)
    Beachwood (7 mi.)

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