Drug donanemab seen as ...

a set of patients who researchers thought more likely to respond

There were significant sideeffects and patients will need to be aware of risks of treatment

Half of patients on donanemab were able to stop the treatment after a year, because it had cleared sufficient brain deposits

Amyloid is just one part of the complex picture of Alzheimer’s, and it is unclear if the treatment will continue to make more difference over a longer period, experts caution.

The drug’s effects may be modest, but the results provide further confirmation that removing amyloid from the brain may change the course of Alzheimer’s, and help people affected by this devastating disease if they’re treated at the right time, they say.

Prof Giles Hardingham from the UK Dementia Research Institute said: “It is terrific to see these results published in full today.

“We have waited a long time for Alzheimer’s treatments, so it’s really encouraging to see tangible progress continuing to gather pace in the field.”

Dr Susan Kohlhaas, from Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “Today’s announcement marks another milestone.

“Thanks to decades of research, the outlook for dementia and its impact on people and society is finally changing, and we’re entering a new era where Alzheimer’s disease could become treatable.”

Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s PM programme, former Prime Minister David Cameron said resources should be put towards further research into what he called a “statin for the brain”.

“We want a pill that people who have the build-up of these proteins in the brain can take every day or every week in order to clear those proteins out of the brain and therefore reduce your chances of getting a disease that causes dementia,” he said.

Asked if the government were prepared to invest where needed to roll out new treatments, Mr Cameron said there was a real incentive to do so: “We’re a country of sixty million people, with a million people with dementia, many of them in very expensive residential care settings and so there is a lot of savings to be had from effectively treating people… .I’m hopeful that our system can deliver.” passing out people are being really overwhelmed.” because people get so enamoured with all the large buildings and spectacles in the lights, they don’t realise they’re being dehydrated,” he said.

Meteorologist Trevor Boucher told BBC News one reason the Las Vegas heat feels so relentless is because there is little respite. Instead of heat escaping during the night, Mr Boucher said the ground continues to reflect the heat it absorbed during the day.

“Temperatures can struggle to fall below 90F (32C) in some cases. And if you don’t have access to cooling, then you’re stuck in 90 degree temperatures for 24 hours,” he said.

And those high temperatures affect the vulnerable the most severely.

Patty and Alan Baker are two of several thousand living in Las Vegas without a home. They spoke to BBC News outside a cooling station and shelter in downtown Las Vegas.

In the weeks before the heat dome settled over the state, Las Vegas had been unusually cool. It recorded more than 260 consecutive days below 100F (38C).

But the soaring temperatures returned with a vengeance, with little warning or time for people to acclimatise. “It snuck up on us,” Mr Schilling said. “So we’ve seen people that are feeling dizzy, their hearts are racing, people are

“We’re surviving, but we’re sweating a lot,” Patty said. “You know, we’re lucky that we have access to shelter. They have fans in there and we get a mat. So that helps a lot.”

“We are senior citizens but you know we hang in there,” Alan said. Heatwaves have become more frequent, more intense, and last longer because of human-induced climate change.

The world has already warmed by about 1.9F (1.1C) since the industrial era began and temperatures will keep rising unless governments around the world make steep cuts to emissions. (BBC)

Lecanemab costs around $27,500 (£21,000) in the US, where it is licensed.

It is not clear how much donanemab may cost and how long it might take to get approval in the UK, but Alzheimer’s experts said having two drugs would help promote competition on price.

The UK’s drug’s watchdog

NICE says it has already started work on its appraisal of donanemab for treating mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia caused by Alzheimer’s disease.

“Our aim is to produce recommendations on its use in the NHS as close as possible to it receiving its UK licence,” said a spokesperson.