A newly approved Alzheimer’s drug promises miraculous results, but it won’t come cheap.
What happened: Health Canada granted conditional approval to lecanemab, a drug with the potential to slow the effects of early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. Approval for the drug, already available in about 50 countries, took over two years.
- In a widely cited 2022 clinical trial involving 1,800 people, patients who used lecanemab experienced 27% less cognitive decline than those who took a placebo.
How it works: Unlike available Alzheimer’s drugs that mitigate symptoms, lecanemab reduces the potential root of the illness: the plaques in the brain caused by a buildup of amyloid proteins, which many researchers believe is a main cause of Alzheimer’s.
Why it matters: While lecanemab can’t outright stop Alzheimer’s, it can help patients live independently for longer, giving them dignity and putting less strain on the healthcare system.
- The Alzheimer Society of Canada estimates more than 770,000 Canadians live with dementia, with Alzheimer’s being the primary cause. As the population rapidly ages, that number is set to climb to 1 million by 2030, and 1.7 million by 2050.
Yes, but: Depending on what coverage becomes available, high costs will price out potential patients. Lecanemab doesn’t have a Canadian price tag yet, but a year’s dose in the U.S. costs US$26,500. In addition, users must go for an MRI before taking the drug and four more during their first year of taking it to monitor for scary side effects like brain bleeds.—QH