New Alzheimer’s drug could save thousands of lives in Washington

WASHINGTON — There could soon be a drug on the market that slows the progress of Alzheimer’s, marking a huge development for millions of Americans impacted by the disease.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is weighing the potential approval this week.

The drug we’re talking about is Lecanemab, and is sold under the name Leqembi. The Alzheimer’s Association of Washington (ALZWA) says there are currently 120,000 Washingtonians aged 65 and older with Alzheimer’s. That number that is expected to grow nearly 17% by 2025 -- even if the drug only works for a third of patients, that’s still tens of thousands of people who could benefit.

This would be the first Alzheimer’s drug to slow disease progression expected to get full FDA approval. The FDA’s decision is crucial since a full approval would prompt Medicare and Medicaid to change how it covers the drug. Right now, it costs about $26,000 per year.

In Washington, tens of thousands could be eligible for the drug according to ALZWA. Leqembi did get an accelerated approval process back in January, according to the FDA.

A large clinical trial, funded by the drug’s makers, did find that Leqembi can slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease by about 27%.

Still, some medical experts are warning that this is not a cure and the drug won’t work for everyone, and for some, it also could have rough side effects.

According to Brad Forbes with the ALZWA, the drug could have massive impacts in the state. He points out that Washington’s population is aging, and the drug could eliminate the need for tens of thousands of caregivers trying to manage Alzheimer’s for a loved one.

“Our state is currently facing a workforce shortage for caregivers as well as folks working in longterm care facilities,” he told KIRO 7. “That is only going to grow as the baby boomers continue to age, and drugs like Leqembi will help to stem the growing of that crisis.”

According to the FDA, the drug would be administered once every two weeks. Forbes says the treatment is given through IV infusions. He added that as of now, Washington does not have enough IV infusion centers to accommodate widespread distribution of the drug, and would need to scale up to treat thousands of potential patients.

ALZWA also points out that lives are at stake. In 2019, the group estimates there were nearly 3,600 deaths in Washington linked to Alzheimer’s.

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