MACON, Ga. — Folks with early-onset Alzheimer's can now think about life with delayed symptoms. Last week, the FDA approved the first drug in about 20 years to treat the underlying cause of the disease.
In 2016, Arthena Caston started to notice a change.
"The day I went to work and left my car running in the parking lot the whole day, I knew something was wrong," Caston said.
She was diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment. It runs in her family. Caston says she lost her dad to the disease, and his seven relatives also had it.
Caston says the diagnosis was hard to hear.
"They say to you, 'There is nothing I can do for you. Go home and get your home in order. I'm now giving you a timeline of death,'" Caston said.
Now, she hopes to try the new FDA-approved drug, Leqembi, which slows down cognitive decline.
"It was hope; it gave me a lot of hope," Caston said.
She says it also gives her something special, more time.
"We want to always have a little more time. Time is so essential to us. It means everything," she said.
Plus, it gives her more time with her kids, loving husband and four grandkids.
"It's not a definite cure, but just to know that I have four grandchildren now, one is just two months old, that they may know their heya, that's what they call me," Caston said.
Cat Colcombe with the Alzheimer's Association of Central Georgia says this is great news. More time with family could be the reality for the nearly 150,000 Georgians with the fatal disease.
"As this becomes more available, and as other drugs in the pipeline also show these encouraging results, it's a really great time in our field that we haven't seen in quite a long time," Colcombe said.
The drug can help folks with early-onset Alzheimer's but not advanced stages. That's why she says timing is essential.
"If you notice some changes in people's thinking, problem-solving, or behavior and you haven't addressed it with your primary care provider, it is so important to act early," Colcombe said.
She says your primary care physician will refer you to a neurologist who can prescribe the medication.
"If you sit back and act like it doesn't exist, it's not going to go away. It will still be there, and that's what I want people to understand that we have a disease that's out there. People are dying every day. Let's try and do something to help ourselves," Caston said.
It's a message Caston often spreads as an advocate. She serves on the Georgia Alzheimer's Board of Directors and previously served on the national and world boards.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said it would expand coverage of the drug, broadening access for one million people in the early stages. The drug will be covered under Medicare, but patients could still have out-of-pocket costs.
Right now, Leqembi costs $26,000 annually before insurance. The FDA's full approval will provide expanded government coverage.
Folks in Central Georgia living with Alzheimer's, caregivers, and families who have questions related to the disease or need support can call the 24/7 Alzheimer's Association helpline at (800)272-3900.