Second ‘wonder’ drug for Alzheimer’s hailed by scientists as the ‘best ever’ treatment for the disease set to be blocked for NHS use

A second Alzheimer’s drug is expected to be blocked for use by the NHS, it has been reported.

Donanemab – hailed by scientists as the ‘best ever’ treatment for the disease – has been shown in trials to slow cognitive decline by more than a third.

That is better than the results for lecanemab, the breakthrough drug which last week was declared safe by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) but was not approved for NHS use because of its cost.

It means that only patients who can afford to pay privately will have access to the drug.

The cost of donanemab, which is made by US company Eli Lilly, is estimated at around £25,000 per patient per year – about 25 per cent higher than lecanemab.

However, donanemab is understood to carry twice the risk of serious side-effects. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice), which decides which drugs are available on the NHS, is unlikely to reverse its decision on lecanemab – made by Eisai – or to give its backing to donanemab, The Telegraph reported yesterday.

Defending its ruling on lecanemab, Nice said the costs were ‘considerably above the range normally considered cost-effective for routine NHS use’.

It is understood there are now several drugs tackling Alzheimer’s and other dementia conditions which are in the pipeline.

Last night a leading Alzheimer’s charity said it had written to Health Secretary Wes Streeting ‘urging him to act’ to ensure all UK patients get access to new treatments.

Hilary Evans-Newton, chief executive at Alzheimer’s Research UK, told The Mail on Sunday: ‘This is bittersweet news for people affected by Alzheimer’s disease.

‘It’s a remarkable achievement that science is now delivering licensed treatments that can slow down the devastating effects of Alzheimer’s, rather than just alleviating its symptoms.

‘However, it’s clear that our health system isn’t ready to embrace this new wave of Alzheimer’s drugs.

‘It means that, as things stand, people in the early stages of the disease will be denied access to lecanemab through the NHS, and it will only be available to those who can pay privately. This is deeply disappointing.

‘Of course, like first-generation treatments for other diseases, lecanemab has modest benefits and side-effects that need careful monitoring. It’s not a cure, but it is a real step forward – the first new dementia medicine to be licensed in more than 20 years.’

The MHRA and Nice said that they could not comment on ongoing appraisals.

But Nice said of lecanemab that its benefits were ‘too small to justify the costs’. A spokesman added: ‘The costs of providing the treatment, including fortnightly infusions in hospital and intensive monitoring for side-effects, combined with the relatively small benefits it provides to patients, means it cannot be considered good value for the taxpayer.’