An expert meeting held at the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare on the 21st approved the approval of the Alzheimer’s disease drug lecanemab, which was jointly developed by Eisai and Biogen. After being approved by Health, Labor and Welfare Minister Katsunobu Kato, it will become the first drug in Japan to slow down the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.
Lecanemab, a new drug for patients with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease, has been shown to slow the progression of the disease by 27% in clinical trials. In the United States, it was officially approved as a therapeutic drug in early July ahead of Japan.
world health agencyAccording to the (WHO), more than 55 million people worldwide currently suffer from dementia, with 10 million new cases occurring each year. Among them, Alzheimer’s disease is the most common, accounting for 60-70% of all dementias. Dementia is said to have caused an economic loss of 1.3 trillion dollars (about 189 trillion yen) worldwide in 2019 due to caregiving for relatives. The emergence of groundbreaking new drugs is of great significance for Japan’s aging society.
However, there are still issues with its spread. The wholesale price in the United States is as high as $26,500 per patient per year, and even if the drug is covered by health insurance for the elderly, a specialist’s diagnosis is required before administration.After domestic approvalin principleIt is a system in which drug prices are determined within 60 days, or within 90 days at the latest, and it is necessary to continue to pay attention.
The drug has also been submitted for approval in the European Union (EU), China, Canada, the United Kingdom and South Korea.
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2023-08-21 12:44:44
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