A second Alzheimer’s drug has been rejected for widespread use in the NHS in England after the health spending watchdog said that it “does not currently demonstrate value” for money. The news comes as the UK’s medicines regulator said that donanemab could be licenced for use in the UK. It is the second disease modifying Alzheimer’s drug to be rejected by the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (Nice) in a matter of months.
Donanemab, manufactured by pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly, is not a cure but works by clearing amyloid, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease, from the brain slowing down the early stages of Alzheimer’s by between four and seven months. It is estimated that around 70,000 adults in England would have been eligible for treatment. The drug, and another new treatment for Alzheimer’s called lecanemab, have been billed as a huge step forward in research because they target a known cause of the disease, rather than just treating the symptoms.
However, some scientists have warned about the “hyperbole” surroung the treatments. Although Nice’s committee recognised the importance of new treatment options, it said there are “significant uncertainties” to how much benefit donanemab provides, and how long this lasts for after stopping treatment. The watchdog said further work is also needed to understand the costs of giving the medicine in the NHS adding that it has has asked Eli Lilly and NHS England to provide additional information �.