Lecanemab, a groundbreaking drug for Alzheimer’s treatment, has been approved for use in Australia after overcoming previous rejections by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). Eisai Australia successfully countered safety concerns that had held up the drug’s rollout. This important regulatory move clears the way for its introduction. Lecanemab works by directly targeting amyloid plaques in the brain, which accumulate over more than ten years. Clinical studies have shown that this treatment improves patients’ quality of life and independence by an average of six months.
With recent approval of lecanemab, hope seems to be making a comeback, and it’s well deserved, according to Christopher Rowe, director of the Australian Dementia Network. This achievement comes as more than 425,000 Australians currently call dementia home. Impact Alzheimer’s disease is estimated to represent about 70 percent of all dementia cases worldwide. Further, the drug’s introduction may prompt more people to seek early diagnoses — a key factor for treatment efficacy.
Lecanemab, for instance, is now available exclusively in private healthcare facilities. The treatment, which includes 12 to 18 months of follow-up care, costs nearly $40,000. With extra health costs possibly up to $80,000, affordability is a major hurdle.
“Issue number two is the cost at the moment; it’s only available in private, and the drug itself costs around $40,000. But you’ve got other costs on top of that, which probably build up to about $80,000 in total.” – Christopher Rowe
Lecanemab has received widespread media attention internationally, being approved in 51 countries. And combined with another recently developed drug, donanemab is reportedly demonstrating greater success rates in treating Alzheimer’s. This finding is part of a larger global study published in The Lancet.
The approval has the potential to change the way Australians are diagnosed with dementia for the better. Hundreds of thousands of people are afraid to get treated right now because they’re afraid of the disease. Our experts agree that with better treatments will come greater incentive for people to seek out earlier diagnoses.
“There’s a lot of fear around getting a diagnosis, and at this stage, the vast majority of cases are not actually diagnosed. I think that the availability of these drugs will change that.” – Expert commentary
University of Melbourne professor Michael Woodwood, head of dementia research at Austin Health, underlined the significance of the breakthrough. He said that the landmark approval of Lecanemab as “incredibly important” in moving care forward for patients living with Alzheimer’s.
Despite these advancements, challenges remain. As Christopher Rowe recently noted, early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s is essential for patients to be eligible for disease-modifying treatments such as Lecanemab.
“Issue number one, you’ve got to get people very early in the disease. So most people won’t qualify for this treatment.” – Christopher Rowe
The healthcare system is in dire need of change. This will lead to a large rush of people wanting a diagnosis once it’s approved.
“We need to have a health system that’s ready to adapt to the increased number of people wanting a diagnosis.” – Expert commentary
Beyond the approval of Lecanemab, there are more patient care considerations to take into account. The breakthrough drug offers hope for years of improved life. Yet patients need to be able to access a full suite of support services that go well beyond medication.
“It’s also important that the people still access all the other support services…that they’re aware of brain health, which includes exercise, diet, social mental activity, reducing cigarette smoking, et cetera.” – Expert commentary
The healthcare community celebrates news of Lecanemab’s approval as a big step forward. They learn how to meet the more conventional, if sorely under-met, needs of Alzheimer’s patients. As Professor Giovanni Frisoni noted, advancements in diagnostics and preventive care are essential but do not replace fundamental patient care practices.
“Blood tests, biological drugs for Alzheimer’s disease, and prevention interventions are propelling care into entirely new and exciting territory. However, the old needs of patients will not disappear.” – Professor Giovanni Frisoni
While the discussion around Alzheimer’s care is changing with the introduction of these new treatments, experts warn not to let our guard down.
“More general practitioners and dementia specialists will need to master the less glamorous but steady advances made in the past few decades in the care and treatment of behavioral disorders…” – Professor Giovanni Frisoni
“That was a real problem …” Peter Duclos, who has suffered from memory-debilitating treatment, raised alarms about the timing and accessibility of these kinds of treatments.
“I felt things weren’t quite right … I was forgetful and just wasn’t feeling like me.” – Peter Duclos
In the same breath, he recognized that, from then till now, his condition has advanced. He truly believes that if more effective treatments such as Lecanemab had been available earlier in his journey, things would have been very different.
“I might be a bit further along with it that can be beneficial for me now.” – Peter Duclos
