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Leqembi Treatment Infrastructure: If Medicare Pays For It, They Will Come

Testing, Infusion Capacity Next Hurdles For Anti-Amyloid Drug

 
• By Mandy Jackson

The biggest barrier for Eisai/Biogen’s Alzheimer’s medicine Leqembi was Medicare. With full US FDA approval and Medicare coverage in place, PET scan, MRI and infusion centers are needed to facilitate treatment.

Alzheimer's disease on MRI
MRIs are needed prior to Leqembi treatment and before the fifth, seventh and 14th infusions • Source: Shutterstock

Eisai Co., Ltd. and its partner Biogen, Inc. crossed over the biggest barrier in their quest to commercialize Leqembi (lecanemab) now that Medicare will cover the cost of the Alzheimer’s disease drug. The next hurdles for doctors and patients will be obtaining blood tests and PET scans for confirming amyloid pathology in the brain, genetic testing to assess APOE4 status, MRIs to monitor for amyloid-related imaging abnormalities (ARIA) and infusion centers to administer the medicine – facilities that exist, but not in the numbers and locations needed to serve all of the US patients eligible for treatment.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • Leqembi requires blood tests and PET scans to confirm amyloid pathology in the brain, genetic testing to assess APOE4 status, MRIs to monitor for amyloid-related imaging abnormalities (ARIA) and infusion centers to administer the medicine.

 

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) said that it will cover the cost of Leqembi on 6 July,...

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