Lilly's new drug for Alzheimer's disease successfully appealed, and the UK regulatory agency will reassess its medical insurance eligibility.

After the successful appeal of American pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly & Company (LLY.US), the English drug price regulatory body will have to reconsider its previous decision to exclude the company's Alzheimer's drug from the National Health Service (NHS). The UK's National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) will now reassess its initial guidance. The agency had previously deemed that the benefits of donanemab were not enough to justify its price in the public healthcare system. The drug, sold under the brand name Kisunla, has been approved for use in the UK but is currently only available through private healthcare channels. In a statement on Friday, Eli Lilly & Company stated that the regulatory body needs to consider several issues, including the costs for unpaid caregivers, long-term data on the drug, and estimates for infusion costs. NICE is responsible for evaluating the cost-effectiveness of new drugs. The agency stated in 2024 that the price of donanemab, along with the intense monitoring required, exceeded the relatively small benefits it provided to patients. Clinical trials have shown that the therapy can slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease by four to seven months. Previously, NICE also cited cost as a reason for refusing to use Biogen and Eisai's Alzheimer's treatment drug lecanemab in the NHS.