NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — While it is not a cure for Alzheimer's, advocates of a new drug say it can help those in the early stages of the disease. Groups like the Alzheimer's Association are pushing for Medicare coverage of the drug.
Speaking to NewsChannel 5 from a Volunteer Town Hall in Nashville, Dr. Joanne Pike is the president of the Alzheimer's Association.
"It's a momentous occasion for us," she said.
What she's referring to is Leqembi, Eisai and Biogen's Alzheimer's drug for people early in the disease progression.
"While it is not a cure, it does provide benefit," Pike said. "What these treatments do is provide them more time. It is extending the earliest stages of this disease by six, nine, potentially 12 months, where individuals could have more time with their family, more time to make memories, more time to make health care decisions."
Rallies have taken place across the country, pushing for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, known as CMS, to cover Leqembi after the FDA gave an accelerated approval in January. So far, Medicare coverage for this drug has only been available to those in clinical trials.
In the last few days, CMS has said in a statement that if the FDA gives the drug a traditional approval it will be covered by Medicare with patients' doctors taking part in data registries.
As for the use of the registry, Pike has concerns.
"It is unprecedented to require a physician or a patient to utilize a registry to access coverage," she said. "They're putting a barrier in place for a patient and a doctor to be able to provide a new clinical benefit with this treatment."
CMS said the registry will help collect information, asking in part, "Do benefits and harms, such as brain hemorrhage and edema, associated with use of the drug, depend on the characteristics of patients, treating clinicians, and setting?"
An advisory panel for the FDA said they see the clinical benefit of the drug and voted unanimously to recommend traditional approval. An official decision is expected in the next few days.
"The longer we go without providing this treatment, the longer we go without having coverage, there are 2,000 people per day progressing out of the stage of Alzheimer's that could benefit from this treatment," said Pike.
Without coverage, the cost for Leqembi is $26,500.
