Alzheimer’s is one of the worst and most common diseases to affect humans today. Over 6.2 million Americans have Alzheimer’s, and the Alzheimer’s Association expects that number to double in the next thirty years without significant breakthroughs. Those breakthroughs have been slow to come - the FDA hasn’t approved a new drug to help treat Alzheimer’s since 2003. Until this summer.
In June, the FDA approved a new drug that is intended to slow the cognitive decline that accompanies Alzheimer’s. The drug, which is called aducanumab and will go by the brand name Aduhelm, slows the deterioration of brain function in Alzheimer’s patients. It does not, unlike most Alzheimer’s medication, lessen the symptoms of the disease. It also does not combat or cure the disease itself.
Slowing the progression of cognitive decline could be a major benefit for Alzheimer’s patients and their families. It allows families to spend more time with their loved ones while they are fully aware. It can give patients more time to live the normal life they have grown accustomed to. It can help create new research and further understanding of the disease itself.
Of course, Aduhelm is not without controversy. Critics of the drug have claimed that it is, at the very most, minimally effective. The FDA themselves cleared the drug based on its medical breakthrough, but have yet to give it full approval. The agency ordered Aduhelm's creators, Biogen, to conduct a post-approval clinical study proving the drug's effectiveness. If the study does not happen, the FDA has threatened to withdraw their approval.
The other controversy is one familiar to anyone navigating the American healthcare system: cost and accessibility. The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review concluded that for Aduhelm to be cost-effective, it should run its users $2,500 to $8,000 in total a year. Instead, Biogen has priced the drug at $56,000 a year per patient. This intense price will significantly limit the amount of Alzheimer’s patients who will actually be able to enjoy the benefits of the new medication.
It may also be difficult for Aduhelm to receive further study work, since Alzheimer’s patients would prefer not to chance taking a placebo when the full drug is approved and publicly available (at a steep price.)
Despite all of the drawbacks, Aduhelm still marks a significant step forward in Alzheimer’s research. It is the first new drug relating to Alzheimer’s to be approved by the FDA in eighteen years. Hopefully, it will soon become more readily available and will also lead to a new surge in Alzheimer’s research. For help caring for the elder loved ones in your life, contact Miller Law Firm PC today!
