Aducanumab has recently been licensed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the USA under its ‘accelerated approval’ pathway (to provide earlier access to treatments that fulfil an unmet need based on a surrogate endpoint) for treatment of Alzheimer's disease. This was a controversial decision, and the licence is subject to the outcome of further phase IV trials. Results will be eagerly anticipated, especially by the estimated 50 billion people worldwide currently living with dementia.1 The drugs success could pave the way for a new era in treatments at a time where existing therapies only offer symptomatic treatment to slow progression.