The director of the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Prof. Dr. Peter Falkai, has criticized an early rejection of the additional benefit for the Alzheimer’s drug lecanemab by the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) and called for the costs to be covered by the health insurance companies. He fears that a similar assessment could be made for the second active ingredient in this class, donanemab.

After evaluating the available studies, the G-BA had recently found no additional benefit of lecanemab compared to the previous standard therapy. Falkai considers this assessment to be premature. The data situation on the new antibody therapies has improved continuously in the studies. He expects that an additional benefit could be recognized for donanemab. A negative assessment should not lead to the statutory health insurance funds not covering the costs of these new treatments.

In the memory outpatient clinic of the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, donanemab will be administered to a patient for the first time on February 24. Like lecanemab, the monoclonal antibody targets amyloid deposits in the brain and can delay cognitive decline in early-stage Alzheimer’s disease.

In parallel, the researchers at the Memory Outpatient Clinic are investigating whether pupil dilation can serve as an early indicator of cognitive disorders. The aim of the current study is to establish the pupillary reaction as a non-invasive diagnostic tool for early detection and therapy support. Patients of the outpatient clinic can participate in the examination.

Both developments – the new antibody therapies and potential biomarkers such as pupillary reaction – could improve the diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease in the early stages. The debate about the additional benefits and financing of the expensive therapies will continue in the coming months.

Editor: X-Press Journalistenbüro GbR

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