Newly approved Alzheimer’s treatment not recommended for use on the NHS

On Thursday (22 August), the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) approved a product license for the medicine lecanemab (Leqembi) for use in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, following a thorough review of the benefits and risks.

Lecanemab is approved to treat adults in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease who have one or no copies of the apolipoprotein E4 gene. A person can have no copies, one copy or two of this gene. Approximately 15% of those diagnosed with Alzheimer’s have two copies of this gene. 



However, the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published draft guidance following the MHRA licensing stating that the benefits of the drug are too small to justify the costs for the NHS. 

The public consultation on the draft NICE guidance will close on Friday 20 September 2024. The independent committee will consider all responses at a second committee meeting later in the year before producing its final recommendations. 

MHRA announcement: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/lecanemab-licensed-for-adult-patients-in-the-early-stages-of-alzheimers-disease

NICE draft guidance: https://www.nice.org.uk/news/articles/benefits-of-new-alzheimer-s-treatment-lecanemab-are-too-small-to-justify-the-cost-to-the-nhs