Weak evidence of efficacy and problematic side-effects, combined with the sky-high price, are to blame for the lack of enthusiasm
Save time by listening to our audio articles as you multitaskAfter being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease four years ago at the age of 56, Mr Reinstein thought the wait for treatment was finally over. “I was all ready to roll,” he recalls. Alzheimer’s is a brutal and relentless degenerative disease that gradually robs patients of their memories—and devastates families.
Biogen badly needs the government to buy the drug. It emerged recently that the struggling company is cutting about 1,000 jobs . In January, during a call with investors, Biogen’s boss, Michel Vounatsos, pressed Aduhelm’s supporters to fight thes decision. And UsAgainstAlzheimer’s, an advocacy group that receives funding from Biogen, recently launched a large advertising campaign with the aim of swaying the final decision.s decision, we were really sort of shocked.
Patients argue that Aduhelm is far cheaper than costly cancer or gene therapies. However, the prevalence of Alzheimer’s, which afflicts 6m people in America, means that the use of such an expensive drug on a yearly basis will quickly become unaffordable. One study calculated that if 1m patients were to be given Aduhelm, the annual cost would be $73bn by 2028.
While the arguments continue, those who are missing out on the treatment worry that it may become too late for them to benefit from the drug. “I’m 60. I want to spend time with my grandkids and my family,” explains Mr Reinstein. “And the more they delay, the more time that this [disease] can progress. I’m the perfect candidate for this. You wait another two years, I may not be.
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