The Veterans’ Health Administration will cover Eisai and Biogen‘s Alzheimer’s treatment Leqembi for some patients, the companies announced on Monday.
In a statement, Eisai said veterans in the early stages of the disease who meet VHA criteria are eligible for coverage of Leqembi. The company did not provide further details on what those criteria are.
CNBC has reached out to the VHA for more information.
The VHA is the largest health system in the country, providing care for veterans at nearly 1,300 facilities nationwide. The system serves 9 million veterans annually. Nearly 168,000 veterans had Alzheimer’s disease in 2022, according to federal estimates.
The Food and Drug Administration approved Leqembi on an expedited basis in January. However, Medicare is essentially not covering the expensive treatment, which Eisai has priced at $26,500 per year.
The insurance program for seniors will only cover treatments like Leqembi for participants in clinical trials right now. Eisai has already completed its trial.
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Medicare has agreed to provide broader coverage of Leqembi as soon as it receives full approval from the FDA. Eisai and Biogen expect the agency to make a decision on full approval in July.
Leqembi slowed cognitive decline in people with early Alzheimer’s by 27% in a late-stage trial. The treatment also carries risks of brain swelling and bleeding.
Leqembi is administered as an intravenous infusion twice monthly. It targets brain plaque associated with the disease.
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