VA to Cover Costly Experimental Alzheimer's Treatment for Veterans

The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) will cover the experimental Alzheimer’s drug Leqembi, which costs $26,500 per year, for veterans with early stages of the disease who meet agency criteria. The VHA is the first major insurer to agree to pay for the drug since its approval, as Medicare rejected a request for unrestricted coverage. Leqembi was approved earlier this year through the FDA’s accelerated pathway, and it targets clumps of amyloid plaque that build up in the brain. However, anti-amyloid drugs have been shown to produce serious side effects, and the FDA has set a deadline of July 6 to make a decision on full approval.