The War Over Whether Medicare Should Pay For The New Anti-Alzheimer’s Drugs (Forbers):
The powerful Alzheimer’s Disease lobby is combating a multi-billion-dollar battle on two fronts. It’s quietly striveing to limit restrictions the Meals and Drug Administration places on using new medicine geared toward sluggishing the professionalgression of the mind disease. And it’s publicly pressing Medicare to pay for the broadunfold use of the monoclonal antibodies FDA already has conditionally accredited in addition to others within the pipeline.
Whereas the FDA approves medicine to be used, it doesn’t resolve who pays for them. And, for now, the Centers for Medicare and Medicassist Services (CMS) permits Medicare to pay for these medications beneath solely limited circumstances…
Whereas these decisions needs to be based mostly on science, the Alzheimer’s lobby is rolling out its political large weapons. Members of Congress are demanding that Medicare pay. Advocates allege racial bias in Medicare’s reluctance to cover the medicine. Why? As a result of they are saying trials and even registries are much less likely to incorporate Black and Hispanic sufferers in addition to these living in rural communities.
In a single unusual advocacy transfer, drugmaker Eli Lilly, which has utilized for FDA approval of its personal monoclonal antiphysique, purchased what effectively was a two-hour infomercial predespatcheded by the net information service The Hill. It featured regulationmakers, researchers, and representatives of advocacy teams all urging CMS to pay for these medicine. No researchers who questioned the drug’s securety or efficacy have been interviewed.
European Alzheimer’s experts unconvinced by new Eisai, Biogen drug (Reuters):
…In Europe, the place cost-conscious countries rigorously weigh new medicine earlier than undertakeing their use, 9 neurologists and researchers throughout six countries informed Reuters lecanemab is in contrast toly to be broadly used if accredited. Their views beneathpin analyst estimates suggesting Europe will likely be a small market for the drug.
Some doctors mentioned its impact on the disease is probably not clinically implyingful sufficient when weighed in opposition to the danger of mind swelling, its likely excessive worth, and limited personnel and assets to administer twice monthly infusions and monitor for mind swelling with MRI scans.
Does Medicare pay for Alzheimer’s drugs? The answer is complicated and changing (Fortune):
Typically, Medicare covers what the FDA approves.
In April 2022, CMS decided that Medicare would cover Adulhelm (price: $28,200 a 12 months, down from the initial $56,000 worth) and deal withments prefer it just for beneficiaries with Medicare Half B who’re enrolled in a clinical trial accredited by the company or by the National Institutes of Well being…
In early June, CMS mentioned that if the FDA grants traditional approval to medicine sluggishing the professionalgression of Alzheimer’s, Medicare will cover the associated fee for qualifying beneficiaries who even have a doctor participating in a special registry.
Some critics assume a registry may very well be cumbersome for doctors and sufferers and would possibly exclude sufferers in rural and beneathserved areas.
Ongoing petition by plenty of scientists and docs:
Lecanemab is neither secure nor effective for Alzheimer’s sufferers: In opposition to the FDA approval — Signal the Petition! https://t.co/ahkiJts8hj through @Change
In my opinion we’re happening a dangerous highway. We have to consult our maps and re-orient ourselves. Please consider signing.
— Karl Herrup (@KarlHerrup) June 18, 2023
