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Severe Persistent Urinary Retention Following Treatment With Intravenous Lecanemab.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Navarra, AN; Wang, LA; Al-Sahlani, H; Liu, AJ; Doraiswamy, PM
Published in: Pharmacotherapy
October 2025

Lecanemab is an amyloid-targeted antibody indicated for treating patients with amyloid-confirmed early Alzheimer's Disease in mild dementia or mild cognitive impairment stages. We report here a case of a subject with early stage of Alzheimer's Disease dementia, amyloid positive, who developed severe acute urinary retention following his first dose of intravenous lecanemab. His urinary retention resolved after a week but recurred following the second intravenous dose 2 weeks later. Lecanemab was discontinued, but the urinary retention has persisted for 8 months indicating possible permanent adverse impact on the bladder. The Naranjo causality probability score was 6. The incidence of urinary retention with intravenous lecanemab is not known but given that elderly patients with dementia may have multiple risks for bladder dysfunction, clinicians should remain vigilant. It is hoped that newer formulations, such as subcutaneous lecanemab, may prove safer in such patients.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Pharmacotherapy

DOI

EISSN

1875-9114

Publication Date

October 2025

Volume

45

Issue

10

Start / End Page

702 / 705

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Urinary Retention
  • Pharmacology & Pharmacy
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Alzheimer Disease
  • Aged
  • Administration, Intravenous
  • 3214 Pharmacology and pharmaceutical sciences
  • 1115 Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences
 

Citation

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Navarra, A. N., Wang, L. A., Al-Sahlani, H., Liu, A. J., & Doraiswamy, P. M. (2025). Severe Persistent Urinary Retention Following Treatment With Intravenous Lecanemab. Pharmacotherapy, 45(10), 702–705. https://doi.org/10.1002/phar.70060
Navarra, Amber N., Laura A. Wang, Heba Al-Sahlani, Andy J. Liu, and P Murali Doraiswamy. “Severe Persistent Urinary Retention Following Treatment With Intravenous Lecanemab.Pharmacotherapy 45, no. 10 (October 2025): 702–5. https://doi.org/10.1002/phar.70060.
Navarra AN, Wang LA, Al-Sahlani H, Liu AJ, Doraiswamy PM. Severe Persistent Urinary Retention Following Treatment With Intravenous Lecanemab. Pharmacotherapy. 2025 Oct;45(10):702–5.
Navarra, Amber N., et al. “Severe Persistent Urinary Retention Following Treatment With Intravenous Lecanemab.Pharmacotherapy, vol. 45, no. 10, Oct. 2025, pp. 702–05. Pubmed, doi:10.1002/phar.70060.
Navarra AN, Wang LA, Al-Sahlani H, Liu AJ, Doraiswamy PM. Severe Persistent Urinary Retention Following Treatment With Intravenous Lecanemab. Pharmacotherapy. 2025 Oct;45(10):702–705.
Journal cover image

Published In

Pharmacotherapy

DOI

EISSN

1875-9114

Publication Date

October 2025

Volume

45

Issue

10

Start / End Page

702 / 705

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Urinary Retention
  • Pharmacology & Pharmacy
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Alzheimer Disease
  • Aged
  • Administration, Intravenous
  • 3214 Pharmacology and pharmaceutical sciences
  • 1115 Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences