Swissmedic approves donanemab for the treatment of early-stage Alzheimer’s disease

The drug, developed by Eli Lilly, slows the progression of the disease, but cannot stop or cure it. Alzheimer Switzerland and Swiss Memory Clinics welcome this decision, but emphasize that many people with Alzheimer’s disease and their families still face significant challenges.

On February 4, 2026, the Swiss Agency for Therapeutic Products (Swissmedic) approved the active ingredient donanemab for the treatment of early-stage Alzheimer’s disease, concluding that the benefits outweigh the potential side effects. After decades of unsuccessful research worldwide, the arrival of donanemab represents a significant advance in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, the most common neurodegenerative disease. Although this active ingredient does not cure or halt the progression of the disease, but only delays its development in the early stages, and although it may cause side effects, Alzheimer Switzerland and Swiss Memory Clinics welcome Swissmedic’s decision. “With donanemab, Switzerland now has its first drug for Alzheimer’s disease that, at least in some patients, slows cognitive decline, allows those affected to live longer with a good quality of life, and delays premature admission to institutions, with the financial consequences that this entails,” says Daniel Janett, interim director of Alzheimer Switzerland.

The new active ingredient reduces protein deposits in the brain

Developed by Eli Lilly, the antibody donanemab belongs to a new generation of active substances that, for the first time, act on what modern science defines as the causes of Alzheimer’s disease, namely deposits of harmful proteins known as beta-amyloids. However, donanemab can cause serious side effects such as bleeding or cerebral edema. This means that the risks involved must be carefully assessed and rigorous monitoring carried out during the first few months of treatment. “The authorization conditions for lecanemab, which is produced in Switzerland, would have been significantly more restrictive, which recently prompted Eisai to withdraw its application for authorization. The relatively long time it took Swissmedic and foreign authorities to review the application for authorization of these active ingredients shows that the decision was not an easy one. This now gives us the opportunity to decide, together with eligible individuals, whether they wish to receive such treatment, based on their own assessment of the risks and benefits,” says Dr. Rafael Meyer, President of Swiss Memory Clinics. In order to be able to carry out this assessment in the best possible way, however, it is important that donanemab is carefully studied over a longer period of time and that existing studies are supplemented by additional studies. In addition, care must be taken to ensure that the resources required for current standard treatments, which are available to all those affected by the disease, are not depleted.

Final points still need to be clarified

Before the active substance can be widely used as a treatment that modifies the course of Alzheimer’s disease, a few points still need to be clarified. These include, in particular, its inclusion in the FOPH’s list of specialties, as well as rapid and uniform regulation of cost coverage by health insurers, so that those affected do not have to finance most of the treatment themselves. Alzheimer Switzerland calls on the competent authorities to clarify these outstanding issues quickly. Given the already very long wait in Switzerland, it is essential that access to treatment is now guaranteed without further delay.

➡️ Source: Press Release | 📸 © Canva Media Library, Anna Shvets – Pexels