How Larry’s Experience on New Treatment for Alzheimer’s Offers Hope for Future

A new film highlights the hope and positivity around dementia research by telling the story of Larry Woelk, who has benefitted from a new treatment for Alzheimer’s disease.

The film from Alzheimer’s Research UK follows the retired business executive and his experience on the lecanemab drug trial.

Larry and his wife Rita are passionate advocates for clinical trials. The film shows how early diagnosis and encouraging people to participate in drugs trials is vital in the search for a cure for Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.

Both Larry and Rita have experience of dementia in their families. Larry’s mother died with Alzheimer’s, while Rita’s sister also has the disease and is living in a care home. So, when they noticed problems with Larry’s memory they sought a diagnosis promptly.

Larry was diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in 2018 after an MRI scan. He was then able to join the lecanemab trial in 2020.

Larry’s experience shows just how life-changing an early and accurate diagnosis can be. Yet across the UK, too many people are left waiting months – even years – for the same answers.

Alzheimer’s Research through its Dementia Unseen campaign is calling on Government to make dementia diagnosis a right, not a waiting game.

Larry received an IV infusion of the drug every two weeks through The Memory Assessment & Research Centre in Southampton.

After the first trial finished, it was confirmed he was receiving the drug, not the placebo. He then went onto the extended trial which continues until the end of 2025.

Larry and Rita both believe the drug has helped slow the progression of his symptoms. He also did not experience any side-effects.

Larry said: “Everyone when they get old forgets things, like ‘why did you go into that room?’ or ‘what channel is that show on?’. But my memory had slipped a little bit more than normal.

“On lecanemab it hasn’t slipped a lot further. I’ve taken memory tests every six months and those really haven’t changed in the time I’ve been on the trial.

“I feel fortunate that my diagnosis came so early and got me on this journey at a time when I could be helped and that I have received a drug that is beneficial to me.

“I am still able to live a full life – going on bike rides, playing mahjong, and socialising with friends and family.”

Rita added: “We hope that now there are treatments that are proven to slow down this disease, it will bring Alzheimer’s out of the shadows. We hope it will encourage people when they first notice a problem to seek help and get a diagnosis.”

Lecanemab (brand name Leqembi) and donanemab (Kisunla) were the first Alzheimer’s drugs in the UK for 20 years to gain regulatory approval. They are also the first that work by tackling the disease itself, rather than only alleviating symptoms.

The drugs are designed for people diagnosed with early-stage Alzheimer’s or MCI. They work by clearing clumps of amyloid proteins, which build up in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s.

However, both drugs are not available on the NHS as The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has ruled that they do not have a high enough benefit to justify the cost.

Despite this setback, the development of the drugs remains a hugely exciting breakthrough for research. They unlock the door to new and more effective treatments in the future and are proof that research can take us ever closer towards a cure.