On 7 April, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has released its finalised national coverage decision on aducanumab and future monoclonal antibodies directed against amyloid that are approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The decision is ultimately that Medicare will be able to cover the cost of aducanumab only for participants enrolled in qualifying clinical trials. For drugs similar to aducanumab, the CMS said it would allow coverage if the medication receives traditional approval from the FDA under coverage with evidence development. The FDA approved aducanumab last year under an accelerated approval pathway, based on clinical trial data showing that aducanumab could reduce amyloid plaques in the brains of people treated with the drug.
