Alzheimer's drug adoption in US slowed by doctors' skepticism

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https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/alzheimers-drug-adoption-us-slowed-by-doctors-skepticism-2024-04-23/

Alzheimer's drug adoption in US slowed by doctors' skepticism

By Julie Steenhuysen
April 23, 2024 9:03 AM EDT Updated 8 min ago

CHICAGO, April 23 (Reuters) - Nine months into the U.S. launch of the first drug proven to slow the advance of Alzheimer's, Eisai and Biogen's Leqembi is facing an unexpected hurdle to widespread use: an entrenched belief among some doctors that treating the memory-robbing disease is futile.

Alzheimer's experts had anticipated bottlenecks due to Leqembi's requirements, which include additional diagnostic tests, twice-monthly infusions and regular brain scans to guard against potentially lethal side effects.

And those issues have played a role in slow adoption since the drug was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, according to interviews with 20 neurologists and geriatricians from rural, urban, academic and community practices in 19 states.

In interviews with Reuters, seven doctors treating patients for Alzheimer's attributed their own reluctance to prescribe Leqembi to concerns about the drug's efficacy, cost and risks.

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[Autumn]

1. There's a lot of money in caring for Alzheimer's patients.

[sybylla]

2. Sad news that the drug is so inaccessible

Brain scans and infusions twice a month is quite a burden for family not just in cost but in time.

[elias7]

3. You omitted this part: "to guard against potentially lethal side effects"

In time, with appropriate study and safeguarding, an effective drug will become more accessible. It would also be sad news indeed if your loved one died or deteriorated prematurely because of a rush to get a drug to mass market.