Science Magazine voted Alzheimer’s Drugs as one of the 10 Breakthroughs of 2023. This is a short report on that for an OLLI UCI Lifelong Learning class. As usual, I am not a doctor, and am leaving out the usual drug warnings for such a short talk.
Most Alzheimer’s patient’s brains have tangled clumps of a protein called beta amyloid. A new drug to prevent such accumulation, called lecanemab or LEQEMBI, over 18 months, slowed the loss of cognition by 27%. Another, donemab, slowed by 33%. As new drugs, the longer term effects against dementia are yet to be found.
Update: A Washington Post article on women’s health pointed out that in the LEQEMBI trial, the loss of cognition in women was only slowed by 14%, while in men, the loss of cognition was slowed by a much larger 43%. I haven’t seen an explanation for the difference. Clearly, more research for a drug that would help women is necessary, since among seniors, they are two-thirds of the Alzheimer’s patients.
The cost of lecanemab is $26,500 a year, but is covered by Medicare if shown that the patient already has dementia and has beta amyloid clumping in the brain. Since it is only covered under part B, the patient may have to pay $5,000 of the sum. For patients on Medicaid it cover’s the patient’s 20% contribution. Since not covered by Part D, it will not be eligible for the Medicare bargaining category in the future.
A new study shows that the two best ways to lower the risk of dementia is to give up or limit alcohol consumption, (also smoking), and to lessen stress. Previous speakers to OLLI from long age studies emphasized exercise and lifelong learning.
We review some facts about Alzheimer’s. From the Alzheimer’s Organization, alz.org:
The Association also has detailed studies of Alzheimer’s data.
“At age 80, approximately 75% of people with Alzheimer’s live in a nursing home, compared with only 4% of the general population age 80.”
Here is how the costs of Alzheimer’s are born:
