Japan Approves Pricing and Insurance Coverage for New Alzheimer's Drug LEQEMBI

Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare's advisory body, the "Central Social Insurance Medical Council," approved the official pricing for the new Alzheimer's drug LEQEMBI on December 13. The annual treatment cost for a patient (assuming a weight of 50 kg) is approximately 2.98 million yen (equivalent to about 147,000 RMB). The Ministry plans to include it in the public health insurance coverage starting from the 20th. LEQEMBI, jointly developed by Japan's Eisai and U.S.-based Biogen, is the first cognitive impairment treatment drug that suppresses disease progression by removing causative substances.