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Targeting Amyloid Pathology in Early Alzheimer's: The Promise of Donanemab-Azbt
Khartabil N, Awaness A.. Pharmacy (Basel, Switzerland), 2025-02-08
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
Results demonstrated a statistically significant slowing of cognitive and functional decline. Key results included a 35% slowing of decline on the Integrated Alzheimer's Disease Rating Scale (iADRS) and a 36% slowing on the Clinical Dementia Rating-Sum of Boxes (CDR-SB). (4) TRAILBLAZER-ALZ 4: A head-to-head comparison with aducanumab revealed superior amyloid plaque clearance with donanemab. While its efficacy and safety have been demonstrated in clinical trials, further research is essential to validate long-term outcomes, assess effectiveness across diverse populations, and refine dosing strategies to minimize side effects. With continued investigation, donanemab-azbt could significantly impact the clinical landscape of AD treatment.
Key findings
- Results demonstrated a statistically significant slowing of cognitive and functional decline.
- Key results included a 35% slowing of decline on the Integrated Alzheimer's Disease Rating Scale (iADRS) and a 36% slowing on the Clinical Dementia Rating-Sum of Boxes (CDR-SB).
- (4) TRAILBLAZER-ALZ 4: A head-to-head comparison with aducanumab revealed superior amyloid plaque clearance with donanemab.
- While its efficacy and safety have been demonstrated in clinical trials, further research is essential to validate long-term outcomes, assess effectiveness across diverse populations, and refine dosing strategies to minimize side effects.
- With continued investigation, donanemab-azbt could significantly impact the clinical landscape of AD treatment.
Why it matters
This report states that donanemab showed a statistically significant slowing of cognitive and functional decline, with 35% slowing on one scale and 36% on another, and greater amyloid plaque clearance than aducanumab in a head-to-head comparison. It notes that further research is needed to validate long-term outcomes and refine dosing to minimize side effects.
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Study details
- Study designclinical trial
- Evidence strengthHigh
How this study scored 43/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on senior author's track record, so that was left out: it earned 41 of the 96 points we could judge it on, which is 43 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Pharmacy (Basel, Switzerland)) |
| Journal's citation record | 0 / 4 | Pharmacy: journal h-index 51 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | Design recorded as “clinical trial”, which our rubric does not rank (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 5 / 5 | Rated “high” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 4 / 5 | 2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 3 / 7 | Cited 15 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 2 / 5 | 5.0 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 8.2× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 15 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | OpenAlex's profile for last-listed author Ayda Awaness holds only 5 work(s), too few to judge a track record — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | West Coast University: institution h-index 42 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 0 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 1 institution(s) in 1 country — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete) |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 39998021) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Points | 41 / 96 | Scored on 19 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 41 of the 96 points we could judge it on is 43 out of 100. |
| Total | 43 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Khartabil, N., & Awaness, A. (2025). Targeting Amyloid Pathology in Early Alzheimer's: The Promise of Donanemab-Azbt. Pharmacy (Basel, Switzerland). https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmacy13010023
Vancouver
Khartabil N, Awaness A. Targeting Amyloid Pathology in Early Alzheimer's: The Promise of Donanemab-Azbt. Pharmacy (Basel, Switzerland). 2025. doi:10.3390/pharmacy13010023. PMID: 39998021.
BibTeX
@article{khartabil2025-39998021,
author = {Khartabil, N. and Awaness, A.},
title = {{Targeting Amyloid Pathology in Early Alzheimer's: The Promise of Donanemab-Azbt}},
journal = {Pharmacy (Basel, Switzerland)},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.3390/pharmacy13010023},
pmid = {39998021},
url = {https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmacy13010023}
}
Studies this one cites
Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here. Showing 12 of 13.