Second Alzheimer’s drug, donanemab, rejected for NHS use

The UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has approved US pharma major Eli Lilly’s (NYSE: LLY) Kisunla (donanemab) for people in Britain with mild cognitive impairment or those in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease.

However, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) said the benefits of donanemab are too small to justify the cost of delivering the drug via the National Health Service (NHS). As it stands, donanemab will only be available for those who can pay. And the costs in the private sector will be unaffordable for the vast majority of people.

Donanemab, a monoclonal antibody sold under the brand name Kisunla, is the second Alzheimer’s drug proven to slow the progression of cognitive decline. The drug is not a cure, but works by clearing amyloid, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease, from the brain.