Health Matters

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Not everyone who needs the new Alzheimer’s drug will be able to get it

By Alice Park

Senior Health Correspondent

On Jan. 6, Alzheimer’s patients and their families got some good news from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The agency approved a new treatment , lecanemab—marketed as Leqembi—for the neurodegenerative disease, which affects 6.5 million Americans. Tests showed that the medication can slow the progression of cognitive decline in people with early Alzheimer’s by 27%. While the approval means doctors can start prescribing lecanemab immediately, it doesn’t mean that people will have access to it. Here's what to know:

The drug was approved under the FDA’s accelerated approval program, which means it was based on early data.
The drug’s maker, Eisai, said it would cost patients $26,500 a year. Medicare does not cover the drug yet because of its accelerated approval, but will consider reimbursing for it if and when the FDA issues a full, traditional approval. That could take several more months.
Doctors are worried that the lack of insurance coverage could mean many people currently in the early stages of the disease might not benefit until their disease has progressed.

READ THE STORY.

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One Last Read

Another health implication of climate change

Climate change is leading to a slew of new, emerging environmental health concerns.

One example: yesterday, Axios summarized a new scientific study that looked at data from more than 600,000 children living in 51 low- and middle-income countries, collected between 2000 and 2019, and found that increases in floods and droughts correlated with increased reported cases of diarrhea in young children. Diarrhea may sound prosaic, but it’s one of the leading global causes of childhood mortality. And as the climate crisis grows, this public health concern will likely increase with it—unless we ensure access to clean water for every child at risk, worldwide.

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Today's newsletter was written by Alice Park and Elijah Wolfson and edited by Angela Haupt.