UNC Health Pardee says it's the first health care organization in Western North Carolina to administer a newly FDA-approved drug to treat Alzheimer's disease.
The hospital says Dr. Joel Callahan, chief of staff with UNC Health Pardee, and medical director, Pardee Neurology Associates, administered the first dose of Lecanemab on Dec. 1, 2023, to an 81-year-old woman from Hendersonville.
According to UNC Health Pardee, the patient, who had a confirmed Alzheimer's disease diagnosis earlier this summer, said she was cautiously optimistic about the medication.
While we would rather have a proven remedy, we're doing the best we can with a horrible situation," the patient's husband said in a written statement.
The couple said they would have traveled anywhere to access this medication, so getting it in their community was a welcome benefit. They expressed they're hopeful for positive outcomes and glad to be a part of something that is a step toward a cure.
