It is easy to understand why everyone is desperate for anything that will help with Alzheimer’s Disease. Patients and their families dread its relentless onslaught. Consequently, there was tremendous pressure for the FDA to approve Aduhelm (aducanumab), by Biogen and Eisai.
However, it’s approval was met with widespread criticism because it is both expensive, with an expected annual price tag of $56,000, but of limited effectiveness.
Aducanumab is taken as an infusion administered in a doctor’s office for one hour every four weeks. That might be difficult for a patients suffering from agitation who might not understand why they are there.
See “Doctors Shouldn’t Get Rich From an Unproven Alzheimer’s Drug”
The high cost of Biogen’s newly approved and controversial treatment will be compounded by a misguided Medicare policy that incentivizes doctors to prescribe the priciest medicines.
And “If the FDA approves Biogen’s Alzheimer’s treatment, I won’t prescribe it”
And “3 Experts Have Resigned From An FDA Committee Over Alzheimer’s Drug Approval”
Given the level of disagreement among experts, we can only wonder about the process. What is the appropriate role for the FDA?
Of course the FDA – like every government agency – has been subverted to support the Drug War
See “The FDA and Me: Medical Cannabis and Regulatory Capture”
And “SENIORS HAVE EVEN MORE REASON TO DEMAND END TO CANNABIS PROHIBITION”
I have been critical of The American Alzheimer’s Association before, see Does The Alzheimer’s Association Hope We Will Just Forget About CBD?
See full here: