A New Alzheimer ’ s Drug Gave Patients Hope. Millions Can ’ t Get It

Jay Reinstein, a former assistant city manager in Fayetteville, N.C. who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2018, finally got some good news recently. His doctor told him he would be a good candidate for the newly approved drug lecanemab (Leqembi). He’s in the early stages of the neurodegenerative condition, which is when the drug appears to be the most effective. Studies show that for people like Reinstein, twice monthly infusions could slow cognitive decline by up to 27%. Perhaps more importantly, lecanemab also seems to help people continue their daily activities for a longer period of time compared to those not taking it. “The new drug approval gave me and my family hope,” Reinstein says. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] The bad news is that at $26,500 a year, the treatment is financially out of reach for Reinstein—and so many others. Ivan Cheung, the president of Eisai, Inc., which developed lecanemab, speculates that patients may have to get the monthly infusions for at least two to three years before they can potentially shift to a less frequent maintenance dose. Medicare won’t cover it; the agency has grouped lecanemab into a class of drugs that it says requires additional evidence in order to qualify for coverage. It’s only the second medication approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to target amyloid, the protein that builds up in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients, and Medicare has ...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized Drugs healthscienceclimate Source Type: news