Access to Alzheimer’s Drugs in Question Due to Medicare Draft Coverage

The draft guidance released by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding coverage for the Alzheimer’s drug Aduhelm may have wider-reaching consequences, according to an analysis by Avalere. In the draft, the CMS states it will only cover Aduhelm and other monoclonal antibody therapies targeting amyloid plaques for patients in clinical trials. However, Avalere’s analysis shows that clinical trials may be inaccessible for many potential patients, especially considering transportation limitations for people with cognitive decline.

According to the study, “Alzheimer’s Disease Research Centers (ADRCs) already host trials sponsored by the manufacturers of mAbs directed against amyloid plaque for the treatment of AD. But ADRCs also tend to be highly concentrated in certain parts of the country (Figure 1), which may lead to access barriers for Medicare beneficiaries eligible for AD mAb treatment. Currently there are 33 ADRCs and 4 exploratory ADRCs nationwide.”

Click here to read the entire study.

(Source: Avalere, March 11^th, 2022)