IN FLORIDA HERE IN A MOMENT BUT

FIRST A POTENTIAL BREAK THROUGH

THIS MORNING FOR MILLIONS OF

AMERICANS AFFECTED BY

ALZHEIMER'S.

A NEW ANTIBODY TREATMENT FOR THE

DISEASE COULD SLOW THE

PROGRESSION OF COGNITIVE DECLINE

BY 27%.

HERE TO EXPLAIN THIS MAJOR

DEVELOPMENT IS CNN CHIEF MEDICAL

CORRESPONDENT AND AUTHOR OF

"KEEP SHARP BUILD A BETTER BRAIN

AT ANY AGE" DR. SANJAY GUPTA.

SANJAY, THIS IS SO IMPORTANT TO

TALK ABOUT BECAUSE PAST -- YOU

KNOW, PAST MEDICATIONS HAVE

IMPROVED COGNITION PERHAPS BUT

NOT THAT MUCH.

THIS IS A BIG NUMBER.

>> IF THIS HOLDS UP, IF THIS

DATA HOLDS UP, SO FAR WE'VE JUST

HEARD FROM THE MANUFACTURER OF

THE PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES

THEMSELVES, BUT IF IT HOLDS UP

IT COULD BE A VERY BIG DEAL IN

THE WORLD OF ALZHEIMER'S.

THERE'S NOT BEEN A SIGNIFICANT

TREATMENT THAT HAS HAD THIS

DEGREE OF IMPROVEMENT IN THESE

PATIENTS REALLY IN A LONG TIME,

IF EVER.

SO LET ME SORT OF TALK YOU

THROUGH THIS.

IT'S A NEW DRUG.

IT'S SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE HAVE

BEEN WATCHING FOR SOME TIME.

LIKINOMAB.

1800 PEOPLE WITH EARLY STAGE

ALZHEIMER'S.

PART OF THE GROUP GOT THE DRUG,

THE OTHER GROUP GOT PLACEBO.

WHAT THEY FOUND AFTER 18 MONTHS,

BRIANNA, WAS THERE WAS A

SIGNIFICANT DECLINE IN OVERALL

COGNITIVE WORSENING IN THE GROUP

THAT GOT THE DRUG.

THIS IS THE THING.

THIS IS WHAT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN

LOOKING FOR FOR SOME TIME NOW.

WE KNOW PEOPLE WITH ALZHEIMER'S,

THEY CONTINUE TO PROGRESS IN

TERMS OF COGNITIVE DECLINE.

IF THIS COULD SLOW THAT DOWN,

THAT'S SIGNIFICANT.

NOW A COUPLE THINGS.

THE WAY THAT THEY MEASURE THIS,

THIS COGNITIVE DECLINE, THEY

ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT MEMORY,

ABOUT ORIENTATION, ABOUT 27%,

THAT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE THAT BIG

OF A NUMBER, BUT IN TERMS OF

YOUR OVERALL ABILITY TO

FUNCTION, YOUR ABILITY TO

FUNCTION IN YOUR EVERYDAY LIFE

IT CAN MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE FOR

SOMEBODY IN TERMS OF EARLY STAGE

ALZHEIMER'S HOW WELL THEY CAN

FUNCTION INDEPENDENTLY OR IN A

HOME SETTING.

THIS IS GOING TO BE A BIG TOPIC

OF DISCUSSION AS WELL.

WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE DRUG, IT

DID HAVE AN EFFECT ON THE

PLAGUES IN THE BRAIN.

THE AMYLOID PLAGUES.

THERE WAS A DECREASE IN THE

PLAGUES YOU SEE ON THE RIGHT

SIDE OF THE SCREEN.

WHETHER THOSE TWO THINGS ARE

DIRECTLY CONNECTED OR NOT IS

STILL UNCLEAR BECAUSE AS YOU

CORRECTLY POINT OUT, BRIANNA,

THERE HAVE BEEN DRUGS IN THE

PAST WHICH ARE VERY GOOD AT

GETTING RID OF THE PLAGUES BUT

DIDN'T DO MUCH IN TERMS