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The UK’s medicines regulator has giving the go-ahead to a pioneering Alzheimer’s treatment that’s proven to slow the disease’s inexorable progress. This approval heralds a new era in Alzheimer’s care, bringing a sense of hope and renewal to patients, families, and healthcare professionals alike.
The MHRA has greenlit Lecanemab, a trailblazing treatment that targets the cognitive decline associated with Alzheimer’s. This approval marks a significant breakthrough in the fight against this neurological condition, bringing a sense of promise to patients, families, and healthcare professionals alike.
A bitter pill to swallow: despite gaining approval from the MHRA, Lecanemab, the Alzheimer’s treatment developed by Eisai, won’t be making its way to the NHS due to its hefty price tag.
The UK’s spending watchdog has deemed the drug too expensive, leaving many patients wondering if they’ll ever access this life-changing medication.
The benefits of lecanemab are “just too small to justify the significant cost to the NHS”, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) said.
A regulatory rift: Lecanemab’s approval in the US last year has not been mirrored in Europe, where the EMA rejected the treatment in July. This divergence underscores the challenges of navigating disparate regulatory landscapes and the implications for patient access to innovative treatments.
A risk-benefit imbalance: according to the EMA, Lecanemab’s modest efficacy is eclipsed by its safety concerns. The agency’s evaluation revealed that the treatment’s benefits, though real, are not substantial enough to offset the risks, leading to a rejection of the drug.
In the US, the drug costs around £20,000 ($26,000) per patient, per year.
However, lecanemab has been hailed by Alzheimer’s researchers and charities for being the first approved treatment which tackles the early stages of the disease, rather than managing the symptoms.
It works by using antibodies which bind to and clear the proteins that normally build up in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s, the most common type of dementia.
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While not a cure-all, Lecanemab has shown a significant impact in slowing cognitive decline in early Alzheimer’s patients, with a 25% decrease. This meaningful reduction offers a beacon of hope for those navigating the early stages of this debilitating condition.
“Evidence from a clinical trial suggests that people having lecanemab continue to have worsening cognitive function over time, but at a slower rate than people on placebo”, NICE said in its draft recommendations, adding that there was a “lack of evidence on the long-term effects”.
The approval of Lecanemab has been met with a cautious optimism by Alzheimer’s Research UK chief executive Hilary Evans-Newton, who described the news as “bittersweet”. This measured response reflects the complexity of the situation and the need for continued progress.
“It’s a remarkable achievement that science is now delivering licensed treatments that can slow down the devastating effects of Alzheimer’s, rather than just alleviating its symptoms,” Evans-Newton said.
Priced out of hope: the charity Alzheimer’s Research UK has warned that Lecanemab’s steep price tag will create a barrier for many, limiting its availability to those who can afford it in the private sector. This unequal access raises troubling questions about the distribution of life-altering treatments.
Alzheimer’s-related mild dementia affects a significant portion of the elderly population, with approximately 5% of those over 65 and a quarter of those over 80 living with the condition, according to NICE. These striking statistics underscore the need for effective support and treatment options.
