‘Small benefits and a certain risk’: Media representations of novel treatments for Alzheimer's disease

The media is a key site for developing and communicating public understanding of Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's disease is a leading cause of dementia, and a condition that is prominent in public perceptions of ageing and cognitive decline. Novel disease-modifying treatments (DMTs) are the first innovation in Alzheimer's disease treatment for two decades, and have the potential to change how society thinks about Alzheimer's disease. This study investigates representation of risks and uncertainties of DMTs in articles published within the five highest circulation US newspapers between November 2020 and May 2024. This was a period of focused media attention on DMTs in the US, including reporting on Food and Drug Administration (FDA) review and approval processes and debates over public funding of these treatments through the Medicare program. The analysis finds that the media associated risks with the relative efficacy of the medications in comparison to the costs of these treatments. We further find that media representations highlight institutional challenges for the FDA in managing these uncertainties, within a situation characterized by expert contestation of the evidentiary basis for DMTs and patient hope for the promise that DMTs hold.