FDA approves much-debated Alzheimer’s drug panned by experts

Government health officials have approved the first drug that they say may help slow Alzheimer’s disease

WASHINGTON -- Government health officials on Monday approved the first new drug for Alzheimer’s disease in nearly 20 years, disregarding warnings from independent advisers that the much-debated treatment hasn’t been shown to help slow the brain-destroying disease. The Food and Drug Administration said it granted approval to the drug developed by Biogen for patients with Alzheimer's disease. It’s the only drug that U.S. regulators have said can likely treat the underlying disease, rather than manage symptoms like anxiety and insomnia. The decision, which could impact millions of older Americans and their families, is certain to spark disagreements among physicians, medical researchers and patient groups. It also has far-reaching implications for the standards used to evaluate experimental therapies, including those that show only incremental benefits.