Blitz Bureau
Britain’s National Health Service (NHS) has decided block Eli Lilly’s Alzheimer’s drug donanemab, saying it too expensive for patients.
British regulators are expected to declare the drug safe for use, but the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), which decides what drugs are available on the NHS, will immediately rule that it is too expensive for NHS patients, the Telegraph reported on October 23. The Telegraph has reported in August that donanemab would be rejected by NICE and blocked for use by the NHS.
Scientists have hailed donanemab as the “best ever” treatment for Alzheimer’s disease, reportedly being even more effective at slowing the progression of the condition than previous treatments, according to BBC. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration had in July approved donanemab for the treatment of early Alzheimer’s.
The U.K. newspaper noted that the estimated annual cost of donanemab in the U.S. is $32,000, which is around 25 per cent higher than Esai’s Alzheimer’s drug lecanemab.
