The molecule, DDL-920, works differently from recent FDA-approved drugs for Alzheimer's disease such as lecanemab and aducanumab, which remove harmful plaque that accumulates in the brains of Alzheimer's disease patients. While removing this plaque has been shown to slow the rate of cognitive decline, it does not restore memory and cognitive impairments.

"They leave behind a brain that is maybe plaqueless, but all the pathological alterations in the circuits and the mechanisms in the neurons are not corrected," Mody said.