Medicare could limit who gets new Alzheimer’s drug

Medicare members could face barriers to accessing Biogen’s new Alzheimer’s drug, Aduhelm, due to the treatment’s high cost.

Advertisement

The drug, which is currently priced at $56,000 a year, could surpass $5 billion in annual sales, which will mostly be paid for by Medicare, according to The Wall Street Journal. Though Medicare typically pays for approved medications unconditionally, the government program could restrict access to offset the high costs. 

“Medicare can’t afford to treat this as business as usual,” Andy Slavitt, a former Medicare acting administrator and Biden senior adviser, told the Journal.

“Whether or not that drug will be covered by Medicare and Medicaid is an outstanding question, something HHS will have to deal with,” HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said June 24. “We’re going to be making some pretty heady decisions about how it’s treated, if it will be reimbursed, how much, and so forth.”

Becker’s 3rd Annual Fall Chief Pharmacy Officer Summit is the top tier event that the people leading the future of pharmacy convene. This 3-day event is built specifically for Chief Pharmacy Officers and senior pharmacy leaders. The sessions examine the workforce, financial and clinical priorities shaping pharmacy today. Becker’s is where candid discussions flourish and new ideas thrive. Becker's 3rd Annual Fall Chief Pharmacy Officer Summit

Advertisement

Next Up in GLP-1s

Advertisement

Comments are closed.