Lecanemab (Leqembi), the first drug to show an ability to slow cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s disease, will be available for home use in the US from 6 October, following the approval of a weekly subcutaneous injectable version by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The new treatment, Leqembi Iqlik, will be covered by Medicare, which extends to all US citizens aged 65 and over. Its market price will be $19 500 (£14 400; €16 600) for a year’s treatment. This compares with around $13 300 for lecanemab outpatient intravenous (IV) maintenance therapy, which the FDA approved in January. The savings in hospital and clinic visits are expected to make the home use version a cheaper option, despite its higher price tag.
Patients are only eligible for weekly injectable or monthly IV maintenance treatments following an 18 month outpatient course of biweekly IV therapy. This was the first lecanemab treatment to be approved by the FDA, in 2023.
In the UK the National …
