August 22nd 2024.
According to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, the drug in question is deemed to be too expensive. The NHS spending watchdog has made a recommendation that this groundbreaking Alzheimer's drug should not be made available through the NHS. This decision comes only a few days after experts in the UK hailed the drug as the beginning of the end for this devastating disease. However, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has now stated that the benefits of lecanemab are simply not significant enough to justify the high cost to the NHS.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency recently declared that this targeted antibody treatment is effective in slowing down the progression of Alzheimer's disease. It targets the build-up of amyloid, a protein that accumulates in the brains of those living with this condition. The drug is designed to clear this build-up and slow down cognitive decline. Patients receive the treatment through an intravenous drip every two weeks.
A charity has expressed deep disappointment over this decision. As the first treatment of its kind to be licensed in Great Britain, it is disheartening that patients with early-stage Alzheimer's will not have access to the drug through the health service. Instead, it will only be available to those who can afford to pay for it privately.
Dr. Samantha Roberts, the chief executive of Nice, explains that while this is a promising new field of medicine, the reality is that the benefits of this first treatment are simply not significant enough to justify the high cost to the NHS. The treatment is quite intensive, requiring patients to visit the hospital every two weeks and be monitored for any potential side effects. On top of that, the cost of purchasing the drug itself adds to the overall expense.
Nice states that clinical trials have shown lecanemab to delay cognitive decline by four to six months. However, there is limited evidence on its long-term effects. It is estimated that around 70,000 adults in England would have been eligible for this treatment.
Hilary Evans-Newton, the chief executive of Alzheimer's Research UK, remarks that today's news is bittersweet for those affected by Alzheimer's disease. While it is a remarkable achievement that science has developed a licensed treatment that can slow down the devastating effects of the disease, it is also clear that our health system is not yet equipped to handle these new drugs. This means that individuals in the early stages of the disease will not have access to lecanemab through the NHS and it will only be available to those who can afford to pay for it privately. This is a deeply disappointing reality.
Lecanemab is already licensed in the US, where it costs approximately £20,000 per patient per year. However, the European Medicines Agency rejected its approval in late July. The EMA explains that the benefits of lecanemab do not outweigh the risk of serious side effects, such as brain bleeding and swelling. Additionally, the effects of the drug on delaying cognitive decline are minimal. A similar drug called donanemab, developed by Eli Lilly, is currently being evaluated for approval in the UK by medicine regulators.
According to NHS England, between 50,000 and 280,000 patients may be eligible for these new treatments. The hope is that as research and development continue in this field, more effective and affordable treatments will become available to those who need them.
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