Alzheimer’s is a devastating disease, yet there is division in its causes and treatment options. Leqembi, in a clinical trial, slowed cognitive decline by 27 percent over 18 months compared with a placebo. That represented a five-month delay in progression — dismissed as negligible by some but hailed as a milestone by others for a mainly untreatable malady.
Alzheimers drugs
The high price of new Alzheimer’s drugs will affect various stakeholders, including patients, healthcare systems, insurers, and the pharma industry. It will add billions to Medicare spending in a healthcare system trying to reduce costs. Here are some way it will impact our healthcare.
The exact cause of Alzheimer’s disease is not yet fully understood. However, extensive research has shed light on several factors contributing to its development, so we need to see ALL the data on Lilly’s new drug.
U.S. senators called for Medicare to offer broad coverage of Alzheimer’s treatments approved by the Food and Drug Administration, warning that current restrictions cost patients precious time as their disease progresses. They are asking the FDA to approve a drug based on hope, not science.
A new drug has been found to reduce memory decline among patients with early-stage Alzheimer’s in a “historic breakthrough” in treating the disease. Results have been reported by Eisai, a Tokyo-based pharmaceutical company that has partnered with U.S. biotech firm Biogen to develop lecanemab. The question is will HCPs trust Biogen?