Category: Alzheimer’s

by Michael Gillan Peckitt August 7, 2025 Number of comments0
Alzheimer’s Health Japan Medical

Japan OKs Price Cut for Alzheimer’s Drug Lecanemab

A Japanese health ministry panel Wednesday approved a plan to cut the price of Lecanemab, an Alzheimer’s drug codeveloped by Japanese drugmaker Eisai Co. and U.S. industry peer Biogen Inc., by 15 pct in Japan starting Nov. 1. The price of the drug will be lowered to 97,277 yen for a 500-milligram bottle. Dosages are based on weight. For example, a patient weighing 50 kilograms would see an annual cost reduction from about 2.98 million yen to about 2.53 million yen.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt June 5, 2025 Number of comments0
Alzheimer’s iPS Japan Medical

Japan Starts Final-Stage Trial for iPS Drug for Alzheimer’s

A Japanese team said on Tuesday 3rd June that it has started a final-stage clinical trial to administer to patients with familial Alzheimer’s disease a drug discovered through induced pluripotent stem, or iPS, cells. This is the first final-stage trial conducted in the field of iPS drug discovery, which uses iPS cells to discover new efficacies of new and existing drugs, according to the team. The team includes members of Kyoto University’s Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, or CiRA, and Towa Pharmaceutical Co., which makes and sells generic drugs.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt May 10, 2025 Number of comments0
Alzheimer’s Dementia Japan Medical

Loss of Immune-Regulating Protein Eases Alzheimer’s Disease, Research By Kyoto University Finds

The loss of a certain immune-regulating protein in the brain leads to a decrease in the levels of amyloid beta, which causes Alzheimer’s disease, and improves cognitive function, a group of researchers including from Kyoto University has found. The group confirmed that the TIM-3 protein, which exists in microglia, a type of immune cell in the brain, increases as the brain ages. When it removed the protein from a mouse with Alzheimer’s disease by genetic modification, the accumulation of amyloid beta decreased by 50 to 60 pct, and the mouse showed an improvement in cognitive function.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt November 15, 2024 Number of comments0
Alzheimer’s Disability Japan

European Agency Switches to Recommending New Alzheimer’s Drug

The European Medicines Agency said Thursday that its committee evaluating medical products has recommended partial approval of sales of lecanemab to treat Alzheimer’s disease. The committee of the pharmaceuticals watchdog had shown a negative opinion in July on the medicine, developed by drugmakers Eisai Co. of Japan and Biogen Inc. of the United States.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt November 14, 2024 Number of comments0
Alzheimer’s Dementia Disability Japan

Japan OKs Insurance Coverage of Alzheimer’s Drug Donanemab

Japan’s Central Social Insurance Medical Council, which advises the health minister, approved Wednesday public health insurance coverage for donanemab, an Alzheimer’s medicine developed by U.S. drugmaker Eli Lilly & Co. The government set the drug’s price at 66,948 yen per 350-milligram vial. As a dip is required every month, it will cost a patient about 3.08 million yen per year. Treatment with donanemab will last up to 18 months. Due to the high costs, the government will provide subsidies to cap patients’ out-of-pocket expenses. As a result, most of the costs will be shouldered by the government. The insurance coverage will start Nov. 20.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt August 2, 2024 Number of comments0
Alzheimer’s Dementia Health Japan

Japan set to approve Lilly’s donanemab to treat Alzheimer’s disease

A Japanese health ministry panel gave the green light Thursday for the manufacture and sale of the Alzheimer’s drug donanemab-azbt, developed by U.S. pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly and Co.

After the soon-to-come formal approval by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, the drug, under the brand name Kisunla, will become the second medicine available in Japan for treating early symptomatic Alzheimer’s disease. The drug works by removing accumulated amyloid beta proteins in the brain, slowing the progress of the disease.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt July 28, 2024 Number of comments0
Alzheimer’s Health Japan

EU Negative on Approving Eisai’s Alzheimer’s Drug Lecanemab

The European Medicines Agency has said that its committee for assessing medicines recommended “not granting a marketing authorization” to Alzheimer’s drug lecanemab.
According to the announcement by the EMA, which is under the European Union, on Friday, the committee pointed out that the effect of lecanemab, developed jointly by Japan’s Eisai Co. and U.S. drugmaker Biogen Inc., in delaying cognitive decline “does not counterbalance” the risk of serious side events, such as bleeding in the brain.

by Michael Gillan Peckitt December 13, 2023 Number of comments0
Alzheimer’s Health Japan

Eisai-Biogen Alzheimer’s Therapy to Cost 2.98 million Yen Per Year

A single course of treatment with an Alzheimer’s drug developed by Japanese company Eisai Co. and U.S. firm Biogen Inc. will cost around 2.98 million yen ($20,500) per year in Japan and will be largely covered by public health insurance, a health ministry body said Wednesday.

As the drug, branded Leqembi, will be covered by public health insurance, those undergoing treatment will pay between 10 to 30 percent of the cost out of their own pocket, depending on their age and income.