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The UK regulator, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, will not allow use of Lecanemab in the NHS, despite its licensing by The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)
NICE says the drug, which can slow the development of Alzheimer’s disease, does not have sufficient benefits to justify the cost to the NHS which would include the monitoring of patients for side-effects.
At DPUK, there are several programmes and studies which are looking at identifying biomarkers essential for the development of new therapeutics. Professor Vanessa Raymont of the University of Oxford and Associate Director at Dementias Platform UK, who is co-lead for the READOUT study commented:
"The MHRA’s approval of Lecanemab is ground breaking and massively exciting news, as it is the first new drug for Alzheimer's disease in over 20 years. It is also the first drug that is approved in the UK that has the potential to change the course of the disease and have real impact on the progression of any memory impairment. However, it is clear the NHS still isn’t ready to roll out treatments like this. More ground-breaking treatments are coming and this is a great opportunity for us to offer improved care for all patients with Alzheimer's disease.
“New treatments bring hope but they will mean nothing if we don’t urgently fix dementia diagnosis, which is why research projects like the Blood Biomarker Challenge and our READOUT programme – which aims to bring a blood test for dementia to the NHS within 5 years – are so important. A dementia diagnosis is important because it unlocks access to personalised care and support, allowing people and their families to plan for the future.”
Despite the limiting nature of the NICE decision in terms of use within the NHS, Professor John Gallacher, Director of Dementias Platform UK said:
“Whatever your view on the decision taken by MHRA and NICE, the key take-away is that Lecanemab has been licensed. This is encouraging for the development of next-generation therapies that will provide greater benefit at less risk.
There are grounds for optimism that these next-generation drugs will become available on the NHS. It is crucial, therefore, that the UK remains laser-focussed on developing these treatments.”
Read more about the announcement at:
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/lecanemab-price-company-uk-alzheimers-b2600139.html