A new drug that could slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease has been approved as safe to use – but it has also been deemed as too costly to be prescribed on the NHS.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has on Thursday said Lecanemab is safe and effective, reports Sky News.
However, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has said that it is not cost effective.
This means the treatment will only be available privately.
Lecanemab has already been licensed in the US but it has not been universally put through for use due to its cost and side effects.
This is what it all means.
What is Lecanemab?
Lecanemab is a targeted antibody treatment that binds to amyloid, a protein which builds up in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease.
It is designed to help clear the build-up and slow cognitive decline in people with the condition and is given to patients via an intravenous drip fortnightly.
A clinical trial has shown the drug can slow the decline in memory and mental agility by 27 per cent among Alzheimer's patients, according to Sky.
NHS England estimates between 50,000 and 280,000 patients might be eligible for the new treatments.
It is, however, costly – with the drug costing $20,000 a year per patient in the US.
Who will make Lecanemab?
Pharmaceutical company Eisai is behind the drug.
Eisai is a Japanese company with its headquarters in Tokyo but has operations around the world and its UK branch is based in Hatfield, Hertfordshire.
The company’s statement is: “We give first thought to patients and the people in the daily living domain, and increase the benefits that healthcare provides to them as well as meet their diversified healthcare needs worldwide.”
Why will it not be on the NHS?
Lecanemab was rejected by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in late July.
The EMA said the benefits did not counterbalance the risk of people suffering serious side-effects such as bleeding and swelling in the brain.
It also said the effects of the drug on delaying cognitive decline were small.
NICE shared similar concerns on Thursday when they rejected the drug to be available freely on the NHS.
According to Sky News, Dr Samantha Roberts, chief executive of NICE, said: "This is a new and emerging field of medicine which will no doubt develop rapidly.
"However, the reality is that the benefits this first treatment provide are just too small to justify the significant cost to the NHS. It is an intensive treatment to give to patients involving a hospital visit every two weeks with skilled staff needed to monitor them for signs of serious side effects, plus the cost of purchasing the drug.
"Our independent committee has rigorously evaluated the available evidence, including the benefit for carers, but NICE must only recommend treatments that offer good value to the taxpayer."
