Researchers have made huge headwinds in finding a treatment for Alzheimer’s after a drug aimed at slowing its onset was proven to work for the first time. Results from a clinical trial conducted by US drug company Biogen and Japan’s Eisai showed injecting the drug Lecanemab helped clear out proteins that build up in the brain and are thought to cause Alzheimer’s, the most common form of dementia. Out of 1,800 participants with early stages of the disease, 900 saw a 27% reduction in cognitive decline over an 18-month period. It’s a small but significant result because there are currently no treatments for slowing or curing Alzheimer’s, and previous studies haven’t been successful. Eisai said the next steps are applying to get the drug approved early next year before rolling it out to patients. However, researchers say the safety of the drug needs to be studied first, with side effects including potentially deadly brain bleeds.