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Alzheimer's drug Leqembi promises to give patients more time, but they face a long road to treatment

CNBC
Summary
Nutrition label

89% Informative

Leqembi, an Alzheimer's drug from Biogen and Eisai , could give patients at the earliest stages of the disease more time to live normally and independent of others.

But patients face a long road to treatment due to the new and complicated system associated with taking the drug.

There are bottlenecks related to reimbursement uncertainties, diagnostic test requirements, the need for regular brain scans and difficulties finding neurologists.

Patients and neurologists must jump through several hoops to determine eligibility for Leqembi .

The drug works in part by clearing toxic plaques in the brain called amyloid, a hallmark of Alzheimer's.

A study of Medicare enrollees found only 24% of patients with a neurologic condition were seen by a neurologist.

Some commercial health plans simply don't cover the drug, experts say.

Eisai and Biogen are working on more convenient forms of Leqembi that could reduce the burden on patients.

The companies are hoping to win regulatory approval for a so-called "maintenance dose" of the drug.

Patients say infusions feel like "therapy sessions" because they get to talk to other patients and caregivers.

VR Score

93

Informative language

95

Neutral language

51

Article tone

informal

Language

English

Language complexity

51

Offensive language

not offensive

Hate speech

not hateful

Attention-grabbing headline

not detected

Known propaganda techniques

not detected

Time-value

short-lived

External references

15

https://www.mayo.edu/research/faculty/petersen-ronald-c-m-d-ph-d/bio-00078363https://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/facts-figures#:~:text=navigate%20dementia%20care.-,Prevalence,living%20with%20Alzheimer's%20in%202024.https://www.ucsfhealth.org/providers/dr-julio-rojashttps://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/stageshttps://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/alzheimers-disease/stages-of-alzheimer-disease#:~:text=Facts%20about%20Alzheimer%20disease&text=Alzheimer%20disease%20usually%20affects%20people,years%20after%20their%20symptoms%20appear.https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/statement-broader-medicare-coverage-leqembi-available-following-fda-traditional-approvalhttp://leqembilocator.comhttps://www.alz.org/news/2023/medicare-covers-pet-imaging-alzheimers-diagnosishttps://www.aan.com/PressRoom/Home/PressRelease/3843https://www.beingpatient.com/no-access-to-leqembi-alzheimers/https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/treatment-tests-and-therapies/meningioma-treatment#:~:text=Meningiomas%20arise%20from%20the%20layers,over%20months%20or%20even%20years.https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/eisai-initiates-rolling-biologics-license-application-to-us-fda-for-leqembi-lecanemab-irmb-for-subcutaneous-maintenance-dosing-for-the-treatment-of-early-alzheimers-disease-under-the-fast-track-status-302145547.htmlhttps://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/fda-accepts-filing-of-leqembi-lecanemab-irmb-sbla-for-iv-maintenance-dosing-for-the-treatment-of-early-alzheimers-disease-302167859.html#:~:text=As%20part%20of%20the%20monthly,beta%20(A%CE%B2)%20protofibrils%5Bihttps://www.hattiesburgclinic.com/doctor/helveston-wendell-r-md/https://investors.biogen.com/news-releases/news-release-details/fda-grants-traditional-approval-leqembir-lecanemab-irmb

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