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[SkeBallLarry]

Alzheimer’s drug gets FDA approval, allowing Medicare coverage

U.S. officials granted full approval to the Alzheimer’s drug Leqembi on Thursday, clearing the way for Medicare and other insurance plans to begin covering the treatment. It’s the first medicine that’s been convincingly shown to modestly slow the cognitive decline caused by Alzheimer’s. Read more.

Why this matters:

There were concerns the cost of new plaque-targeting Alzheimer’s drugs could overwhelm Medicare's finances, which provide care for 60 million seniors. Leqembi is priced at about $26,500 for a year’s supply of IVs every two weeks. The vast majority of Americans with Alzheimer’s get their health coverage through Medicare. And private insurers have followed its lead by withholding coverage for Leqembi and a similar drug, Aduhelm, until they receive the FDA’s full endorsement.

Japanese drugmaker Eisai has told investors that about 100,000 Americans could be diagnosed and eligible to receive Leqembi by 2026.
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