The marketing of Leqembi, a medication for the early treatment of Alzheimer's disease, has also been approved in Italy. It is the first medication of its kind to be approved in the European Union. Alzheimer's disease affects the central nervous system. Degeneration of brain tissue causes the loss of brain cells, which results in a progressive loss of cognitive and mental skills. Alzheimer's disease is estimated to affect approximately 5% of the world's population over the age of 65 and 20% of those over the age of 85, while in some cases, beginning can occur as early as age 50.