Manila, May 25 -- Australia's drug and therapeutic regulatory agency has approved the first drug for treatment of Alzheimer's disease, public broadcaster ABC reported on Thursday.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) approved the drug, Donanemab, which has been found to slow the progress of Alzheimer's by clearing proteins in the brain.

The drug is meant for those with mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia due to Alzheimer's, which is the most common type of dementia.

It is the leading cause of death for Australian women and the second most common for men.

The drug is given as an intravenous infusion through the arm every four weeks for a maximum of 18 months.

Clinical trials have shown it can help in the early stages of A...