Novel Alzheimer’s Therapies Given to Less than 20 Pct of Applicants

Tokyo, April 8 (Jiji Press)–Novel Alzheimer’s therapies have been given to 19 pct of outpatients who applied for the medications, according to a recent survey at a Tokyo hospital. The lecanemab and donanemab therapies for early-stage Alzheimer’s patients are now clinically available under Japan’s national health insurance scheme, which curbs a sharp rise in out-of-pocket medical expenses. Despite the relatively low-cost availability, however, the drugs have eventually been administered to only 87 out of 456 applicants, the survey by a study group at the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute for Geriatrics and Gerontology showed. During the survey period between December 2023 and April last year, 205 of the total applicants at the medical institute were allowed to go through detailed checkups while the others were eliminated as candidate beneficiaries of the novel therapies to slow cognitive decline. Ryoko Ihara, chief physician at the institute, and colleagues said many applicants were not able to receive the treatments due to the disease’s progression to later stages, failure to confirm the accumulation of amyloid beta plaques, the drugs’ targets, in the brain, or magnetic resonance imaging results suggesting the danger of providing the therapies. They also cited concerns over side effects and costs for constant hospital visits as major obstacles. Another survey finding was that male patients aged 75 or older with minor Alzheimer’s symptoms had a low rate of taking the medications. Such patients tended to refrain from having medical examinations or opted to “take time to see what will happen,” the team said, adding that the plaques’ accumulation was not detected in many of them. In view of their quality of life and remaining years, older people seem to be more eager to maintain the status quo, they also pointed out. “If you feel uneasy about your cognitive functions, go to see a doctor early,” Ihara said. “Clinical trials showed that drugs’ efficacy improved as they were administered to earlier-stage patients.” END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]