The first drug shown to slow Alzheimer’s disease hit the U.S. market over a year ago, but sales have lagged, major hospital systems have taken months to start using it and some insurers have rejected coverage. Doctors also expect some patients will hesitate to take Leqembi due to its limited impact and potential side effects. They say it will take years to learn how best to deploy the drug and that work must be done to improve diagnosis. “This is the start of a very exciting journey,” said Dr. Ambar Kulshreshtha, a suburban Atlanta family physician focused on dementia patients. More than 6 million Americans, and millions more worldwide, have Alzheimer’s disease, the most common cause of dementia. There’s no cure, but Leqembi clears a sticky brain protein called amyloid that’s a key indicator of Alzheimer’s. Studies showed that it can delay the progression of the disease by a few months when given to people with mild symptoms. Some experts say the delay may be too subtle for patients to notice. |
'Devastated': Widow pleads for late husband’s dream to be realised'Very significant' rise in home insurance premiums revealedYang Hengjun: Australian writer detained in China fears he will die in jailGovernor, Congress members to meet over support for rebuilding bridgeChanges to flu vaccine eligibility missed opportunity to improve health equityPope skips Good Friday procession 'to preserve his health'US defense chief denies genocide committed in GazaFinnish police say bullying was motive for school shooting'Major logistics exercise' to deliver humanitarian aid from NZ to GazaUS Postal Service seeks to hike stamp prices to 73 cents