Eli Lilly's Alzheimer's drug donanemab advances as America's population ages

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- An advisory committee to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has voted to endorse Eli Lilly's Alzheimer's drug donanemab.

The panel says it is safe and effective in slowing the progression of early stages of Alzheimer's disease. If approved by the FDA, donanemab would be the second drug on the market to slow the progression of the disease.

On the heels of this announcement, Courtney Hochhalter, a senior care expert and the owner of Right at Home in Houston, spoke with Eyewitness News.

Hochhalter explained Alzheimer's is a brain disease that impacts entire families when a loved one is diagnosed.

Hockhalter said early detection is key. Behavioral changes like declining personal grooming and hygiene, confusion and forgetfulness, changes in personality, frailty, and unsteadiness can be early warning signs.

If those signs become evident, it is important to have a respectful conversation with loved ones about their care and how it may impact the family.

More than 54 million Americans are over the age of 65, and the nation focuses on Alzheimer's and Brain Awareness Month every June.

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