Alzheimer's

The Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation at the University of Michigan recently published a study titled "Detecting Alzheimer’s Disease: Older Adults’ Experiences with Cognitive Screening & Blood Biomarker Testing." The article presents findings from a national survey conducted in January 2023, which explores the knowledge, utilization, and perceptions of cognitive screening and blood biomarker testing for Alzheimer's disease among adults aged 65-80. The study highlights the participants' views on the benefits, limitations, and potential risks associated with these screening methods and offers valuable insights for healthcare professionals and policymakers in the context of early detection and care planning for Alzheimer's disease

On June 22nd, The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released details describing how Medicare beneficiaries can obtain Medicare-covered drugs that may slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. Medicare will cover drugs with traditional FDA approval when a physician and clinical team participates in the collection of evidence about how these drugs work, also known as a registry. To get Medicare coverage people will need to 1) be enrolled in Medicare, 2) be diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment or mild Alzheimer’s disease dementia, and 3) have a physician participating in a registry with an appropriate clinical team and follow-up care...

2023 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures is a statistical resource for U.S. data related to Alzheimer’s disease, the most common cause of dementia. Background and context for interpretation of the data are contained in the Overview. Additional sections address prevalence, mortality and morbidity, caregiving, the dementia care workforce, and the use and costs of health care and services. The Special Report examines obstacles and opportunities for achieving better care in an era of new treatments for Alzheimer’s.

The FDA recently granted accelerated approval for the drug Leqembi, a medication intended to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. Leqembi, the brand name for lecanemab, is the second Alzheimer’s therapy for individuals with mild cognitive impairment. Lequembi targets the protein amyloid and can be prescribed to patients in early to mid-stages of Alzheimer’s disease. Eisai, the manufacturer of Leqembi, reports that the drug will be available by January 23, 2023 and estimates the cost of the biweekly infusion to be $26,500 annually. Medicare coverage of Leqembi and other drugs like it, such as Aduhelm, that have accelerated FDA approval are limited to beneficiaries enrolled in certain clinical trials.