Alzheimer’s drug Lecanemab rejected for NHS use

As reported in the Euro Weekly News, Lecanemab, also known as ‘Lequembi’, was successfully introduced in the US last year, and the UK was also considering introducing it.

Lecanemab is the world’s first drug proven to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. Trials showed it slowed cognitive decline by 27 per cent over 18 months. When trial results were released in late 2022, experts hailed Lecanemab as “game-changing” and a “transformation in outlook” for people with early-stage disease.

The immunotherapy medication focuses on amyloid, a protein that creates plaques around the brain cells of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease. The treatment relies on an antibody that attaches to small clusters of amyloid, prompting the body’s immune system to identify and eliminate them.

While experts have characterised Lecanemab’s advantages as “modest,” they have indicated that it may signify the dawn of a new era of comparable treatments that will likely advance over time.

Alzheimer’s drug Lecanemab too expensive for NHS

However, despite being given the green light by the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency (MHRA) on August 22, it will still not be available on the National Health Service (NHS) due to its high cost.

This decision, made by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), has understandably caused heartbreak for millions hoping to gain access to the new wonder drug.

It would seem that an expert NICE committee conducted a cost-benefit analysis and concluded that it would not be a good use of taxpayer cash. Dr Samantha Roberts, chief executive of NICE, explained, “This is a new and emerging field of medicine which will no doubt develop rapidly. However, the reality is that the benefits this first treatment provides are just too small to justify the significant cost to the NHS.”

Alzheimer’s drug Lecanemab does not offer good value to the taxpayer

She went on to say, “It is an intensive treatment to give to patients involving a hospital visit every two weeks with the skilled staff needed to monitor them for signs of serious side effects, plus the cost of purchasing the drug. Our independent committee has rigorously evaluated the available evidence, including the benefit for carers, but NICE must only recommend treatments that offer good value to the taxpayer.”

Leading Alzheimer’s charities have been disappointed by this decision. David Thomas, head of policy at Alzheimer’s Research UK, stated, “We believe that if there’s a licensed drug that is safe and effective, judged by the regulator, then that needs to be available to NHS patients, and not just those with the ability to pay.”

Charity warns decision not to introduce Alzheimer’s drug Lecanemab will cause uncertainty

Fiona Carragher, chief policy and research officer at the Alzheimer’s Society, said: “Whilst we welcome the MHRA approval, it is disappointing that NICE has not approved and recommended Lecanemab for use on the NHS at this stage.”

Further, the Alzheimer’s Society warned that the decision would cause “uncertainty and confusion” for those desperate to access treatments.

Aside from the approval given in the US, where the drug costs around £30,000 (€35,400) annually per patient, other countries have also given it the go-ahead.  These include Japan, China, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Israel.