YORK, Maine — There's a heated debate over the first and only drug approved to treat Alzheimer's disease in nearly 20 years. More patients and politicians, including Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, are pressing federal health ofificals to make Aduhelm more accessible.
After mounting concerns about the drug's effectiveness, safety, and $28,000 annual price tag, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services are considering restricting coverage only to patients enrolled in clinical trials.
Three years ago Alison Fogel noticed her husband, David, was having difficulty trying to use his GPS and do other normal tasks.
"He was struggling with his computer, things that weren't very difficult for him to do in the past," Alison said.
David's memory skills continued to decline. The York resident was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in July of 2020.
The incurable progressive brain disorder, which affects about 6 million people across the county, slowly destroys cognitive function and other skills.
Last summer, David began receiving monthly transfusions of Aduhelm, the first and only drug to treat the disease. Thanks to the drug's manufacturer, David was able to try the drug for free, administered by Dr. Kent Logan, a neurologist based in Hampton, New Hampshire.
Dr. Logan said brain scans of some of his patients, including David, show a small decrease in clumps of toxic proteins, known as beta-amyloid in the brain, the root cause of the disease. Some patients are seeing less of a decline in memory and daily function skills.
"I was amazed. Four to five patients have improved so well. You had never seen that in your practice? No. How long have you been treating Alzheimer's patients? For 20 years," Dr. Logan said.
"You feel more independent right? As long as you are around," David exclaimed to his wife.
But the drug remains at the center of controversy. Studies show concerns about the drug's potential side effects, including brain swelling and bleeding and the annual cost of $28,000 dollars.
CMS is considering only covering treatment for people in clinical trials.
Since January, the agency has received more than 10,000 comments about the proposal on its website.
David, meanwhile, has not lost any more skills, and the couple is willing to pay for the treatment to maintain his quality of life.
"He is still golfing and going out socially," Alison said.
CMS is reviewing all of the comments and is expected to issue a decision sometime in April.