Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
VA Promises To Cover Experimental Alzheimer's Drug Leqembi
Stat: Veterans Health Administration Will Cover Newest Alzheimer's Drug
In an unexpected move, the Veterans Health Administration decided that it will widely cover a new Alzheimer’s treatment, even as Medicare has decided to wait for additional data about the medicine before taking the same step. (Silverman, 3/13)
Axios: Veterans To Get Coverage Of Alzheimer's Drug Medicare Won't Pay For
The Veterans Health Administration said Monday that it intends to pay for a $26,500-a-year experimental Alzheimer's drug that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has to date declined to cover. ... CMS currently limits its coverage to patients enrolled in clinical trials or CMS-approved comparative studies. (Gonzalez, 3/13)
CNBC: VA To Cover Alzheimer's Treatment Leqembi For Some Veterans
In a statement, drugmaker Eisai said veterans in the early stages of the disease who meet VHA criteria are eligible for coverage of Leqembi. ... A document on the agency’s website says veterans must be seniors, sign a consent form, have undergone an MRI in the past year, and have PET scan or spinal tap test results that are consistent with Alzheimer’s disease, among other criteria. (Kimball, 3/13)
What are the benefits of lecanemab? —
NPR: Benefits Of Lecanemab, A New Alzheimer's Drug, Unclear For Patients Of Color
A new drug for Alzheimer's disease, called lecanemab, got a lot of attention earlier this year for getting fast-tracked approval based on a clinical trial that included nearly 1,800 people. While some saw it as undeniable progress for a disease with no other proven treatment, others urged caution because of severe side effects and the finding of only a "modest" effect. Dr. Jonathan Jackson, Assistant Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School, has another concern: the racial and ethnic makeup of the trial. (Metzger, Kwong, Oza and Spitzer, 3/13)
And the Mediterranean diet appears to lower the risk of Alzheimer's —
NBC News: Mediterranean Diet May Reduce Risk Of Dementia, Alzheimer's, Science Shows
A diet that is rich in seafood, fruit, vegetables, nuts and olive oil may lower the risk of dementia, a new study suggests. An analysis of data from more than 60,000 seniors revealed that choosing to follow a Mediterranean diet reduces a person’s likelihood of developing dementia by nearly one quarter, even among those with genes that put that at greater risk, according to the report published Monday in the medical journal BMC Medicine. (Carroll, 3/13)
The Washington Post: Diet May Lower Cognitive Risks By 20 Percent For Those With MS
People with multiple sclerosis (MS) who embrace a Mediterranean diet may be about 20 percent less likely to develop problems with memory and thinking skills than those who do not, according to a study scheduled to be presented next month at the American Academy of Neurology’s annual meeting.MS is a chronic disease of the central nervous system that develops when the immune system mistakenly attacks and harms the protective sheath (myelin) around nerve cells. (Searing, 3/13)
