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For more than two years, the pain in Bruce Pulley’s left hip slowed him down and kept him from doing the things he loved, especially fishing. His BJC Medical Group orthopedic surgeon, Jesse Beard, DO, recommended a hip replacement as treatment to help relieve his pain, but the thought of surgery made Bruce nervous, so he put off scheduling it.

Nikeyia Ingram, 38, who was diagnosed with sickle cell disease (SCD) at just 6 months old, experiences pain nearly every day due to the red blood cell disorder. Most days, she’s able to treat the pain and manage her disease by controlling her stress, staying hydrated and keeping in touch with her medical team. Lately, Ingram has been finding that grief has been affecting her ability to manage her disease. Last year, she lost her 15-year-old, Demetrius Ingram, her only son, in a car accident. The heartache exacerbates her pain.

For neurologists working with patients with Alzheimer’s disease, the road to actual treatment options has been long and paved with setbacks.

But that is changing for some patients. The Food and Drug Administration recently granted full approval to Leqembi® (lecanemab), the first disease-modifying treatment fully approved for patients in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. The development of this new drug offers hope to patients and may have lasting impacts on how physicians approach treatment.