The drug lecanemab, which is the first to slow early-stage Alzheimer’s progression, will not be available on the NHS in England because NICE (the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) has deemed the benefits too small to justify the high costs, which include intensive side effect monitoring and frequent hospital visits. While the drug has been approved by the MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency) and can be prescribed privately, NICE’s draft guidance highlights that the treatment only offers a modest slowing of cognitive decline, insufficient to warrant NHS funding. This decision is disappointing for Alzheimer’s advocates, who see the approval of lecanemab as a significant milestone. A final decision will be made after a public consultation later this year. Meanwhile, NHS England is focusing on other Alzheimer’s drugs in advanced trials. Lecanemab works by clearing amyloid protein from the brain but carries risks such as brain bleeds and swelling, leading to restrictions on its use.
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This is such a tough situation for many people affected by Alzheimer’s. It’s great that lecanemab has shown some promise, but the cost and potential side effects are definitely concerning. Given that the drug might not be available through the NHS, do you think there’s a chance for other breakthrough treatments to gain approval if they show similar, or even slightly better, results? It would be interesting to see how these advancements might evolve in the near future.
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