Proportion of Community-Dwelling Individuals Older Than 70 Years Eligible for Lecanemab Initiation: The Gothenburg H70 Birth Cohort Study

Neurology. 2024 May 14;102(9):e209402. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000209402. Epub 2024 Apr 9.

Abstract

Objectives: To determine the prevalence of individuals with Alzheimer disease (AD) eligible for treatment with the recently FDA-approved lecanemab based on data from a population-based sample of 70-year-olds and extrapolate an estimation of individuals eligible in Europe and the United States.

Methods: Participants from the Gothenburg H70 Birth Cohort Study with clinical data, CSF-amyloid beta 42, and brain MRI analysis were evaluated for eligibility to receive lecanemab treatment according to FDA-approved recommendations, noting factors requiring special consideration. Results were used to extrapolate the number of eligible individuals in Europe and the United States using public demographic data.

Results: Thirty (10.3%) of 290 participants met the indication for treatment of whom 18 (6.2%) were eligible and did not present factors requiring special consideration. Our estimate that 6.2% of all 70-year-olds in the full cohort are eligible for treatment extrapolates to an approximation that around 5.9 million Europeans and 2.2 million US residents could be eligible.

Discussion: Information on proportion of individuals eligible for AD treatment with lecanemab in the general public is limited. We provide information on 70-year-olds in Sweden and extrapolate these data to Europe and the United States. This study opens for larger studies on this proportion and implementation of lecanemab treatment.

MeSH terms

  • Alzheimer Disease* / epidemiology
  • Amyloid beta-Peptides*
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized*
  • Cohort Studies
  • Humans
  • Independent Living
  • United States

Substances

  • Amyloid beta-Peptides
  • lecanemab
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized