LETTER: Allow access to Alzheimer’s disease treatments
Allow access to Alzheimer’s disease treatments
Losing my grandmother, father, and mother to Alzheimer’s disease was life-shattering.
The trauma of their daily fight for cognizance is still with me. Unfortunately, no substantive medical treatments were available to them. Now, I continue their fight. As an advocate for persons living with early Alzheimer’s, access to treatments that can change the course of the disease is extremely important to me. Based on statistics, I may need them.
On Jan. 6 this year, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved lecanemab, 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 FDA-approved Alzheimer’s treatments.
Every FDA-approved drug is covered by Medicare, except for Alzheimer’s. The Alzheimer’s Association is calling on CMS to change its decision. Please urge Congressman Guy Reschenthaler to demand CMS take action to ensure individuals living with Alzheimer’s have equitable access to FDA-approved Alzheimer’s treatments.
Denise C. Moreno
Pittsburgh
Moreno is a volunteer advocate with the
Alzheimer’s Association.