Alzheimer’s Archives

Patient, Consumer, and Public Health Coalition Letter to Congress on CMS Limited Coverage for Newly Approved Alzheimer’s Drugs

February 27, 2023: NCHR urges Congress to support the decision by the Centers for
Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to limit the coverage of newly approved Alzheimer’s
drugs until the treatments have been shown to have a meaningful, clinical benefit that outweighs
the risks for the Medicare population.

Costly Alzheimer’s treatment is spreading around the world, with virtually no science to back it up

Stat News, June 1, 2022: Thousands of patients have undergone a type of “shockwave therapy” called transcranial pulse stimulation (TPS) for Alzheimer’s disease and other conditions. The Neurolith device costs patients thousands of dollars but isn’t proven to work. It is not FDA approved for use in the U.S. but Boris Kawliche, a Florida psychiatrist, has been offering TPS at Brandon TMS and Psychiatry clinic since November. Snake oil or treatment?

What You Need to Know About Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias

Alzheimer’s Disease is one of the leading causes of death for Americans ages 65 and older. It is the most common cause of dementia (as much as 60-80% of dementia cases are caused by Alzheimer’s Disease), and 11% of Americans ages 65 and older are estimated to have dementia caused by Alzheimer’s Disease

High Praise, Condemnation for CMS Aduhelm Coverage Plan

Medscape Medical News, February 16, 2022: Medicare has received a key endorsement and considerable support for its plan to restrict payment for the controversial Alzheimer’s disease drug aducanumab (Aduhelm) — but also drew pleas from other groups for more generous reimbursement of the drug.

Beleaguered FDA in talks for drug-company funding

Marketwatch, July 13, 2021: Fees paid by drug companies make up half of the FDA’s revenue. Dr. Diana Zuckerman explains how these fees often influence FDA decisions and sacrifice patient safety.