To read: The treatment against Alzheimer’s authorized in the United States has Swiss origins
Administered intravenously every two weeks, it is developed by the Japanese pharmaceutical company Eisai with the American Biogen. Its price was set at $26,500 per year per patient.
20% of the cost borne by the patient
The federal Medicare health coverage system, intended for people over 65, has so far only covered it if it was taken in the context of clinical trials, de facto greatly limiting its access.
With full FDA clearance, it will now be “broadly” covered, Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, head of the Medicare managing body, said in a statement. “This is good news for the millions of people across the country living with this debilitating disease, and their families.”
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However, patients will still have to pay part of the cost out of their own pocket (20%, or several thousand dollars), the statement said.
Several treatments developed
Leqembi is part of a new generation of treatments targeting a protein called beta-amyloid, which forms plaques in the brains of sick patients. This drug was the first to clearly demonstrate a reduction in cognitive decline (by 27%) in a clinical trial. Without treating patients, it can help slow the progression of the disease a little. It does, however, come with a warning: it can cause serious side effects, such as cerebral edema or haemorrhage, which can be fatal.
“This treatment, although not a cure, can help give people more time (…) to maintain their independence and do the things they love,” said Joanne Pike, President of the Alzheimer Association patient association. People with the disease “deserve the opportunity to discuss and decide, with their doctor and their family, if this treatment is right for them”.
Another treatment developed by Esai and Biogen against Alzheimer’s, Aduhelm, was the first to be authorized by the FDA under an accelerated procedure. But this decision had been widely criticized by experts in the face of the lack of evidence on its effectiveness.
The American pharmaceutical group Eli Lilly is also developing a treatment against Alzheimer’s targeting amyloid plaques and having demonstrated a reduction in cognitive decline. In the spring, the company announced that it wanted to quickly file authorization requests worldwide.
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2023-07-07 03:17:47
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