Zaldy Tan, MD, MPH, medical director of the Jona Goldrich Center for Alzheimer's and Memory Disorders and director ofZaldy Tan, MD, MPH the Memory and Aging Program at Cedars-Sinai.
Los Angeles (January 12, 2022) --
WHAT:
Following Medicare’s decision today about paying for a new Alzheimer’s disease treatment only in limited circumstances, Zaldy Tan, MD, MPH, a highly respected memory and geriatric medicine specialist at Cedars-Sinai, is available to comment.
Aducanumab, marketed under the brand name Aduhelm, is the first new drug since 2003 to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat Alzheimer’s disease. Medicare ruled Tuesday that it would cover the cost of the drug only for patients participating in clinical trials.
The majority of Alzheimer’s patients are on Medicare, and if the preliminary decision is finalized in April, it would put the drug out of financial reach for the majority of patients, said Tan.
“Clinical trials entail much more rigorous screening of potential participants to ensure they meet inclusion/exclusion criteria, as well as more stringent monitoring of safety and efficacy,” Tan said.
WHO:
Zaldy Tan, MD, MPH, serves as the medical director of the Jona Goldrich Center for Alzheimer's and Memory Disorders and director of the Memory and Aging Program at Cedars-Sinai. He is not associated with any of the aducanumab clinical trials and can share unbiased feedback about both pros and cons of the approval.
Tan’s research focuses on risk factors and preventive measures for Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia, along with health services research aimed at improving the quality of care for dementia patients.
WHERE:
Cedars-Sinai can accommodate most virtual interview formats, including Zoom, FaceTime and Skype.
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