It has been announced today that the Scottish Medicines Consortium’s assessment of Alzheimer’s disease treatment lecanemab has not been successful. In their opinion, the evidence about the benefits the medicine offers in comparison to current treatments was not strong enough to justify the additional cost of the medicine. In addition, the evidence provided by the company on how well the medicine works, along with how much it would cost to use it, was not strong enough.
What is lecanemab?
Lecanemab, sold under the brand name Leqembi, is a disease-modifying drug used in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. It works with the body's immune system to reduce the build-up of the protein amyloid, clumps of which are believed to be a key cause of dementia.
Our response
Henry Simmons, Alzheimer Scotland’s Chief Executive, said:
"We are disappointed that the Scottish Medicines Consortium’s assessment of lecanemab for NHS Scotland has not been successful.
"This decision was based on the medicine’s cost in relation to the evidence of its clinical benefit. Unlike the decision made by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in England and Wales, the SMC did not consider the cost of implementing and developing new diagnostic and treatment pathways as part of their assessment. This gives us hope that this is not the end of the road for this potentially life-changing drug and that there might be an opportunity for further discussions and negotiation on the issue of the medicine costs rather than these other costs, which in our view should simply be part of a progressive NHS approach to the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.
"We know this decision by the SMC will be disappointing for many people. This remains the first new drug shown to slow down the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, rather than simply treating the symptoms.
"Alzheimer Scotland will continue to do all that we can to represent the views of people living with dementia and their carers to ensure that the human costs and views of people with lived experience are reflected in this process.
"We remain optimistic that these initial hurdles will be overcome and, after decades of waiting, that new treatments will be approved for NHS use soon."
If you have been affected by today’s decision and require support, please contact our 24-hour Freephone Dementia Helpline on 0808 808 3000 or [email protected].