Biotechnology Treatments for Alzheimer's Disease

The 2025 Alzheimer's disease drug development pipeline includes 182 clinical trials evaluating 138 novel drugs, with a diverse range of targets beyond amyloid, such as tau, neuroinflammation, synaptic plasticity, mitochondrial function, and bioenergetics. Biotechnology-driven approaches, including monoclonal antibodies, gene therapies, stem cell therapies, and advanced delivery systems, dominate the innovative pipeline.

Biotechnology has transformed Alzheimer's disease (AD) treatment from symptomatic management to disease-modifying strategies. Approved therapies like lecanemab (Leqembi) and donanemab (Kisunla), monoclonal antibodies targeting amyloid-beta plaques, slow cognitive decline by 27–35% in early-stage patients by clearing toxic aggregates. These biologics represent the first biotech successes in directly addressing underlying pathology, though challenges like ARIA (amyloid-related imaging abnormalities) and infusion requirements persist.