New Alzheimer’s drug Q&A

We still are learning about the new Alzheimer’s drug, Aducanumab (ADUHELM) and its roll out following the FDA’s recent approval. We will continue to update this form as new information becomes available.

Dr. Kenneth Pugar discusses new drug here.

Who can take this new drug? The patients in this clinical trial were all mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia. No moderate or severe Alzheimer’s patients were included in the trial. All patients in the trial had to be shown to be amyloid positive either by Amyloid PET scan or with a spinal fluid analysis.

What will this drug do? This is the first drug to potentially slow the progression of the disease itself, not just the symptoms.

Can my loved one take it if they have advanced dementia/ALZ? We don’t currently have data that shows this.

What are the side effects? This medication is generally well tolerated. Headaches are the most common side effects. Having MRI abnormalities were seen in 1/3 of patients. Clinical consequence was insignificant.

What kind of monitoring comes with this drug? MRI after 7th and 12th dose.

How expensive is it? We are hearing $56,000 per year, per patient. Plus the cost of the MRI and infusion/diagnostic testing to even qualify for the drug.

Does insurance cover any of the cost? We don’t know yet.

Will DCND offer it? Yes, DCND will be offering this drug to appropriate patients. To find out if you are a candidate, an appointment with your provider will be required to go over details.

If so, when? Unknown. Likely July at the earliest.

Will the infusions be done at DCND? DCND can do infusions on-site and can provide this medication unless insurance companies dictate otherwise.

How often do I need an infusion? Every month.