Those Suffering From Alzheimer’s Must Have Access to New Medication
Say it ain’t so Joe.
I am beyond disappointed in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) decision to cover the recently approved Alzheimer’s drug Aduhelm only for people in clinical trials. During President Biden’s acceptance speech, he encouraged us all to look ahead to an America that cures diseases like Alzheimer’s.
This outrageously expensive drug, at a cost of $28,200 per month, has the potential to offer hope to the families of the more than five million Americans living with Alzheimer’s. But with its current price tag only a select few will be able to have access. As someone who lost my mother to early-onset Alzheimer’s disease I know what a devastating impact it can have on a family’s emotional, mental, physical and financial stability.
The drugs currently available are decades old and have shown minimal benefit. Aduhelm is the first drug to gain FDA approval in a long time and Americans living with Alzheimer’s are entitled to therapies, just as people with conditions like cancer, heart disease and HIV/AIDS. Treating people living with Alzheimer’s differently than those with other diseases is discrimination and simply unacceptable.
For the 16 million Americans providing 18.6 billion hours of unpaid care to people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias, I call on the CMS to change this decision and ensure equitable access for all who could benefit from FDA-approved treatments.
Nancy Keane
Ossining
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