LOUISVILLE, Ky. — It's the biggest advancement in memory care to hit the market in years, and soon it will be available in Louisville.
Thursday, the FDA approved Leqembi. It's the first Alzheimer's drug proven to slow down the progression of the disease by nearly six months. Norton Health Care says it will be one of the first in Kentuckiana to offer it to patients.
Dr. Greg Cooper, director of Norton Neuroscience Institute Memory Center, hopes to start treatments by next month. He says it will be given as an infusion every two weeks.
Cooper adds patients must be in the early stages of dementia to receive the drug. An MRI and several tests are also required to determine patient eligibility.
But even if patients aren't eligible, Shannon White with Alzheimer's Association says Leqembi is still a bottle of hope.
"This might be the first step and then a new drug comes out next year, and another drug and another drug," she said.
However, Alzheimer's patient Judy Miller prays she doesn't have to wait for the next drug so she can buy more time with the people she loves.
"It's for them. I want to stay alive as long as I can," Miller said.
What could patients pay for Leqembi?
The vast majority of Americans with Alzheimer's get their health coverage through Medicare. Now that Leqembi has full FDA approval, insurance programs can work on what they will pay for.
Medicare and private insurance previously withheld coverage until it got the FDA's rubber stamp.
Without coverage, the new drug is priced at about $26,500 for a year's supply of IVs every two weeks. But even with coverage, paying 20%, the drug could cost patients over $5,000. That's about $100 a week.
Ultimately, the price will vary depending on an individual patient's plan.
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