“Today, the Veterans Health Administration (VA) demonstrated enormous leadership and concern for the health of veteran’s fighting Alzheimer’s disease with its decision to cover the cost of Leqembi. Our veterans battled for us, and the VA is now giving their patients new therapies to battle Alzheimer’s.”
Statement by Global Alzheimer’s Platform Foundation® President John Dwyer:
Washington, D.C. (March 13, 2023) —
“Today, the Veterans Health Administration (VA) demonstrated enormous leadership and concern for the health of veterans fighting Alzheimer’s disease with its decision to cover the cost of Leqembi. Our veterans battled for us, and now the VA is giving their patients new therapies to battle Alzheimer’s.
We applaud the VA for its decision to cover Leqembi for veterans in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. This is a much deserved victory for the almost 168,000 veterans who have Alzheimer’s and receive services through the VA.
At the same time, this is a resounding rebuke of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) discriminatory decision to deny coverage-to-label for Leqembi, an FDA-approved treatment for Alzheimer’s, by limiting access for their 1.2 million seniors with this fatal, progressive disease. It is incumbent on CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure to follow the lead of the VA and quickly cover this life-changing therapy for patients, while prioritizing access and economic fairness for all patients. CMS must reverse course on its harmful national coverage decision immediately.”
For immediate release:
Contact: media@globalalzplatform.org
About the Global Alzheimer’s Platform Foundation (GAP)
The nonprofit Global Alzheimer’s Platform Foundation® was founded to speed the delivery of Alzheimer’s treatments with a commitment to promoting diversity in clinical research, as well as lowering the cost and duration of clinical trials to ensure that no one is left behind. As part of its mission, GAP supports more than 100 clinical research sites around the world through study start up and recruitment activities, promoting diversity in research studies, and recognizing the citizen scientists who make research possible.