LONDON — Leqembi, the Alzheimer’s treatment from Eisai and Biogen, has hit another roadblock reaching patients in Europe.
In draft guidance, the U.K.’s cost-effectiveness watchdog on Thursday said that the limited benefits of the drug, also called lecanemab, do not justify its costs, citing not just the price of the treatment but the related expenses of administering it and monitoring for side effects.
The decision from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence came the same day that the U.K.’s regulatory agency announced it had approved Leqembi for patients with early Alzheimer’s. But a positive review from NICE is required if a new drug is going to become available within the National Health Service.
