For the first time in nearly 20 years, the FDA approved a drug for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

Telephones were ringing off the hook Monday at the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas, with patients calling to inquire about the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s approval of a drug designed to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.

For the first time, the US FDA has approved a drug that is supposed to counteract a cause of Alzheimer's disease. But it is highly controversial.

Aducanumab is the first disease-modifying treatment to be approved for Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and the first to target amyloid ß (Aß), which is one of the earliest causative steps in the pathophysiology of AD.

The Food and Drug Administration on June 7 approved Aducanumab, which will carry the brand name Aduhelm, as the first new treatment for Alzheimer’s disease in nearly 20 years.

The U.S. FDA on Monday is expected to give its thumbs up or down on Biogen Inc’s aducanumab, a decision that will affect the future of Alzheimer’s disease research and treatment and show the agency’s willingness to approve badly needed medicines based on less than definitive data.

The U.S. FDA on Monday is expected to give its thumbs up or down on Biogen Inc's aducanumab, a decision that will affect the future of Alzheimer's disease research and treatment and show the agency's willingness to approve badly needed medicines based on less than definitive data.

The U.S. FDA on Monday is expected to give its thumbs up or down on Biogen Inc's aducanumab, a decision that will affect the future of Alzheimer's disease research and treatment and show the agency's willingness to approve badly needed medicines based on less than definitive data.