Two patients navigate the new Alzheimer’s drugs

Enlarge this image Susan Bell plays with a fidget toy at her home as part of her physical therapy on September 16, 2024 in St. Charles, Mo. The toys help provide Susan with cognitive stimulation. Michael B. Thomas for NPR / @miketphotog hide caption toggle caption Michael B. Thomas for NPR / @miketphotog Susan Bell plays with a fidget toy at her home as part of her physical therapy on September 16, 2024 in St. Charles, Mo. The toys help provide Susan with cognitive stimulation. Michael B. Thomas for NPR / @miketphotog There are now two fully approved drugs on the market that can, sometimes, slow down the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. One is marketed as Leqembi and the other, Kisunla. Both have been shown to slow down the mental decline of Alzheimer’s by more than 25%. But that’s in a group of patients—an individual may do much better, or not be helped at all.NPR Science Correspondent Jon Hamilton has been talking to people who’ve taken these drugs. Today he has the story of two patients to receive them. Interested in more human health stories? Contact us at [email protected]. Listen to Short Wave on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Sponsor Message Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at plus.npr.org/shortwave. This episode was produced by Berly McCoy, edited and fact checked by Gisele Grayson and also fact checked by Jon Hamilton. The audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez.