The first drug to show that it slows Alzheimer’s is on sale, but treatment for most patients is still several months away.
Two big factors behind the slow debut, experts say, are scant insurance coverage and a long setup time needed by many health systems.
Patients get the drug by IV every two weeks. Eisai says the company has shipped Leqembi to U.S. specialty drug distribution centers. From there, it can be delivered overnight to hospitals or medical centers. Medicare made that coverage decision last year when another Alzheimer's drug, Biogen’s Aduhelm, hit the market.
Coverage also is likely to change if the drug receives full approval from the FDA. That could happen later this year. If it’s related to Alzheimer’s disease, doctors must determine whether the patient's brain has an amyloid protein. The new drug aims to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s by removing that protein.
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