FINDINGS
A UCLA-led cost analysis of the controversial new Alzheimer’s disease drug aducanumab shows that ancillary care services, such as additional MRIs and neurologist visits to monitor the potential brain swelling and bleeding associated with the medication, account for nearly 20% of total Medicare costs related to the drug, or $6,564 per patient per year.
With 1.1 to 5.7 million Medicare beneficiaries who have mild dementia or cognitive impairment identified as potentially eligible for the drug, these ancillary services could substantially increase annual Medicare spending, the analysis shows.
BACKGROUND
In June 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved aducanumab to treat Alzheimer’s disease despite questions about evidence related to the drug’s efficacy and concerns about its high price. The drug’s manufacturer recently reduced the annual price of…
