Kansas Hospitals Expand Access to FDA-Approved Anti-Amyloid Infusion Therapies for Early Alzheimer's Disease
核心洞察
Stormont Vail Health (搜索) will begin offering Kisunla, an FDA-approved infusion therapy for early Alzheimer's disease (搜索) and mild cognitive impairment (搜索), with first appointments scheduled for August.
Kisunla works by helping the immune system clear amyloid plaque (搜索) from the brain, with early studies showing it slowed disease progression by more than 20 percent over 18 months.
Wamego Health Center (搜索) is offering LEQEMBI, a monoclonal antibody that clears amyloid plaques, expanding access for rural Kansas patients who previously traveled to Kansas City for treatment.
Stormont Vail Health (搜索) in Topeka, Kansas, will begin offering Kisunla, an FDA-approved treatment for early Alzheimer's disease (搜索) and mild cognitive impairment (搜索), next week. The health system becomes the fourth facility in Kansas to provide the infusion therapy, joining Wamego Health Center (搜索), Hutchinson Regional, and KU Medical Center in Kansas City. Kisunla received FDA approval two years ago, and Stormont Vail's first infusion appointments are scheduled for August.
How the Treatment Works
Stormont Vail neurologist Dr. Ahmed Harazeen explained that the drug works by helping the body's immune system remove amyloid plaque (搜索) from the brain. "This amyloid plaque is an abnormal protein that accumulates in the brain and causes cognitive damage, or causes memory loss," Harazeen said. The treatment is delivered as an infusion once every four weeks, with periodic MRIs to monitor progress.
Patient Eligibility
Kisunla is not available to all patients. Candidates must have mild cognitive impairment (搜索) or early-onset Alzheimer's — not advanced stages of the disease — along with a confirmed presence of amyloid. Harazeen emphasized that the drug is not a cure and does not restore memory. "Kisunla is a medication that can help slow the progression of cognitive and functional decline," Harazeen said. "It can help prolong and preserve cognitive function and independence in people who would like to preserve their quality of life longer."
Early Clinical Results
Early studies show Kisunla slowed disease progression more than 20 percent over 18 months. Harazeen encouraged anyone noticing symptoms not to dismiss them as normal aging. "Do not just say this is just normal aging," Harazeen said. "Let's get checked up because once we catch that early on we can actually have a lot of options for you."
Expanding Rural Access with LEQEMBI
Wamego Health Center (搜索) is among the few locations in Kansas offering a newer infusion treatment shown to slow progression of Alzheimer's disease (搜索). The facility is using LEQEMBI, which Dr. Jennifer Milner from Wamego Health Center described as a monoclonal antibody that helps clear amyloid plaques from the brain. Those plaques are thought to be the cause of memory loss and cognitive decline.
Dr. Milner noted that the treatment is not a cure, and people do not regain function that already is lost, but it does slow further deterioration. She said it is especially meaningful for a rural hospital such as Wamego to be able to offer the treatment, noting that families had previously been traveling to Kansas City to receive it.
Currently, the therapy is only for patients in early stages of the disease. Dr. Milner said that is why people experiencing memory issues should speak with their doctors early on about their concerns. People who would like further information may contact Wamego Health Center (搜索) at 785-236-8413.