New Alzheimer’s drug at M Health Fairview gives Phil more time with his loved ones
Phil Hubble, 79, knows Alzheimer’s disease all too well. His wife, Gloria Jean, was diagnosed with it in 2011.
In 2016, Phil and Gloria Jean moved to the Twin Cities from Madison, Wisconsin, where they had spent most of their lives, raising two sons and working. Gloria Jean was a speech-language pathologist and Phil worked as a Spanish teacher and school counselor. M Health Fairview providers cared for Gloria Jean until she transitioned to a memory care facility. She passed away in 2022.
A few years ago, Phil began to notice new challenges with word finding and calculations. Some things were just more difficult and required more concentration than they did before. “I was never a big numbers person, so doing my taxes was never easy, but it began to feel impossible,” he said.
Medical tests showed he was showing signs of mild cognitive impairment, and further tests indicated Alzheimer’s as the likely cause. “When I first heard the diagnosis, I thought, “’Oh, I know about that. I walked through it with Gloria Jean.’ I realized I would probably go through something similar, and knowing something about our shared experience took away the fear of Alzheimer’s,” Phil explained. He relies on his faith to help him cope with his diagnosis. “I feel great peace about the condition,” he said, “I’ll live as effectively as possible for as long as I can.”
In September 2024, Phil became one of the first M Health Fairview patients to receive lecanemab, a new medication that can slow down the early progression of Alzheimer’s disease in people like Phil.
“Even though it’s not a cure, it’s an important step in the right direction. Having an option for a disease-modifying therapy tangibly gives patients a little more hope,” said M Health Fairview Neurologist Jacob Manske, MD, a memory specialist who treats Phil. Manske is also an assistant professor with University of Minnesota Medical School.
Groundbreaking therapy for Alzheimer’s
Approved by the FDA in 2023 and 2024, lecanemab and donanemab are the first medications approved to treat Alzheimer’s disease directly. Before these drugs, doctors could only treat the disease’s symptoms. Today, these new drugs help to slow down the disease itself. The drugs work by removing the buildup of a protein – called beta amyloid – in the brain. Researchers believe this buildup is responsible for Alzheimer’s progression. That’s why these medications are called “anti-amyloid therapies.” The medicines are delivered via infusion every two or four weeks.
These drugs have the potential to change the lives of patients and their caregivers by prolonging the amount of time individuals with early-stage Alzheimer’s can live independently. “The data shows that after three years on an anti-amyloid drug, you can save the person almost a year of time. You’ve prevented that person from declining for a year,” said Will Mantyh, MD, a behavioral neurologist who specializes in Alzheimer’s and other dementias. Mantyh is also an assistant professor with University of Minnesota Medical School.
M Health Fairview behavioral neurology expertise
These drugs can also have serious side effects, notably brain bleeding and brain swelling. For about 3% of patients on lecanemab, and 6% of patients on donanemab, these side effects cause symptoms. M Health Fairview offers an on-call neurologist who is available 24/7 to address side effects and ensure patient safety.
M Health Fairview’s team includes neurologists who focus on dementias and other memory disorders as well as more behavioral neurologists than any other health system in the Twin Cities. Together, they are well-versed in monitoring patients for side effects and treating them, if needed.
Delivering innovation to the bedside makes a difference for Phil
With comprehensive care, M Health Fairview is uniquely equipped to diagnose and care for people, like Phil, who are in the early stages of Alzheimer’s. The anti-amyloid therapies need to be given in the disease’s early stage to work well, so having highly trained specialists on staff can give more patients the chance to benefit.
Doctors discovered Phil’s Alzheimer’s disease while testing for an unrelated auto-immune condition. After that, Phil was able to connect with Jacob Manske quickly for the tests that would lead to his diagnosis of early-stage Alzheimer’s.
“I could not ask for better care. I don’t know what else anybody could do to make me feel more secure about my health,” he noted.
Phil continues to live independently and cherishes the time he spends with his 6-year-old granddaughter. He loves to read, visit friends, stay active in his church, and participate in the activities available in his community. “I look forward to continue with many aspects of daily life,” he said. “The opportunity to know my family longer and to be able to interact with them for longer is a good thing.”
M Health Fairview has been a special part of Phil’s journey, both as a caregiver to a person with Alzheimer’s and now as a person living with the disease. “They can laugh with you, cry with you, explain what you need to know in a way you can understand. There is such care in that that. I have no doubt that as I go through this process, my neurologist, my primary care provider, and everyone else on the team will continue to make me feel like I’m welcome, and that I’m among friends here,” he said.
“It’s an optimistic time. Clinical trials are going on currently for other anti-amyloid drugs, and other clinical trials are ongoing for people who do not yet have symptoms but who do have amyloid buildup,” Mantyh said. “At M Health Fairview, we embrace research-based innovation and have the experience necessary to incorporate those innovations into clinical practice.”
