Why the NHS may never use breakthrough Alzheimer's drugs
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) is expected to refuse the use of Alzheimer's drugs lecanemab and donanemab on the NHS, despite their success in slowing the disease's progression.
The regulator's decision will reportedly be based on cost-effectiveness, as the drugs are estimated to cost between £20,000 to £25,000, which is considered too high for the limited benefit they provide.
Trials showed lecanemab can slow Alzheimer's progression by 27 per cent over 18 months by removing build-ups of the protein beta-amyloid from the brain, while donanemab teaches the body's immune cells to remove the amyloid protein. Around 70,000 adults would have been eligible for treatment if the drugs had been approved.
Both drugs have UK drug licenses and are available privately, but Nice estimates that the cognitive decline slowed by donanemab is not enough to justify the cost to the NHS.
Alzheimer's Research UK expressed disappointment, stating that while the treatments are not perfect, they represent a vital foundation for further scientific progress.
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