Eli Lilly says changing the dosage of its Alzheimer's drug Kisunla could be safer

A change in the dosing regimen of Eli Lilly's Alzheimer's drug Kisunla led to lower rates of brain swelling in patients in a clinical trial, new data released Tuesday show. But it's unclear whether the new dosing schedule, if approved by regulators, will convince doctors that the treatment is safer for patients.

After 24 weeks of a Phase 3b trial, 24% of those taking the standard regimen experienced a side effect called ARIA-E, a type of brain swelling. Meanwhile, 14% of those in the modified dosage groups had ARIA-E. This represented a 41% risk reduction, according to data presented at the annual Clinical Trials on Alzheimer's Disease conference in Madrid.

The researchers also specifically looked at people who carried two copies of a genetic variant called APOE4, or APOE4 homozygotes. This is a population that is more likely to experience side effects from medications like Kisunla. Among those taking the standard regimen, 57% experienced ARIA-E, while 19% of people in the modified dosage group did, representing a 67% lower risk.