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LETTER: Stop blocking access to Alzheimer’s treatment

2 min read

Stop blocking access to Alzheimer’s treatment

As a board member for the Alzheimer’s Association Greater Pennsylvania Chapter, access to treatments that can change the course of the disease in a meaningful way for people living with early Alzheimer’s is incredibly important to me.

On Jan. 6, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved lecanemab, now known as Leqembi, using the accelerated approval pathway. But months later, despite unequivocal evidence confirmed by the scientific community, bipartisan support from 94 members of Congress, and urgent requests directly from those living with Alzheimer’s, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is still refusing to change its decision and stop blocking access to the FDA’s approved Alzheimer’s treatments.

The Veterans Health Administration announced it will cover the latest FDA-approved Alzheimer’s treatment for veterans but CMS still will not act. Never before has CMS imposed such drastic barriers to access FDA-approved drugs, especially for people facing a fatal disease. CMS’s policy is unjustified, harmful and unfair.

I ask U.S. Rep. Guy Reschenthaler to please urge CMS to provide full and unrestricted coverage for FDA-approved Alzheimer’s drugs, just as it does for FDA-approved drugs for every other disease.

To learn more, visit alzimpact.org.

Chris Brodman

Pittsburgh

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