Some people living with Alzheimer’s disease are hopeful about new drugs coming to market. It is called Rekenbi.
However, even with accelerated approval from the FDA, it is not eligible for Medicare and Medicaid Service Centers.
Nonetheless, a Connecticut woman managed to obtain expensive drugs for her mother.
Last weekend was Mother’s Day and Lori James wanted to give her mother a special keepsake gift. Each moment becomes more important as Ruth James battles Alzheimer’s disease.
“It’s a terrible disease. Just by looking at people you love, part of them is being taken away,” said Ruth James of Walcott.
That’s why she turned to the new Alzheimer’s drug Rekumbi. This infusion is designed to remove plaque from the brain that causes dementia. A phase 3 clinical trial showed that this treatment slowed her cognitive decline by 27% after 18 months.
Leqembi received early approval from the FDA in January. However, biweekly treatment costs $26,500 annually.
“That’s obviously a big hurdle,” James said.
The treatment wasn’t covered by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), so the James family initially thought it wouldn’t be available until Lori began investigating.
“I was pleasantly surprised to find that Eisai Pharmaceuticals is the manufacturer or parent company of Rekembi and has a drug reimbursement program,” she said.
James contacted a caseworker, but the next hurdle was finding an IV center and a doctor to administer the medication. No one in Connecticut had done it until James worked with Civic Infusions and a passionate doctor who lost his own father to Alzheimer’s disease to plan it.
“It was Friday, April 28th. My mom was the first person in Connecticut to get a Lekembi IV,” James said.
“I’m looking forward to being able to live independently if possible,” said Ruth James. “Thank goodness for that. Help is there.”
The Connecticut Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association believes that FDA-approved drugs should be available to eligible families.
“We are doing our best to encourage lawmakers to change their minds about CMS. These drugs will give families more time at key points in the disease process,” the spokesperson said. said in a statement.
CMS issued the following statement in response:
“CMS has always appreciated those who speak up and encourages public participation and comment on CMS’s work. We remain committed to helping people get timely treatment for this devastating disease, and we will share more information in the near future on how people can access treatment for this devastating disease. I look forward to sharing more information.”
Only two drugs that may slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease have received early approval from the FDA, which the FDA is still determining if there is enough evidence to grant conventional approval. means that
If the FDA were to grant conventional approval to this class of drug, the CMS national coverage determination would provide a framework for Medicare members’ access to treatment, as well as how effective the treatment would be in the real world. We also collect information about whether
“It’s one of the only hopes some people have,” James said.
For the James family, hope looks like slowing the progression of the disease. Lori is the gift of time that her mother wants her to cherish.
“It’s a race against time here. As the days go by, our loved ones lose a little bit of themselves,” James said. “She worked hard and was selfless all her life to enjoy her golden years. She took care of everyone else throughout her life, so she deserves this.”