Lecanemab-LEQEMBI treatment cost, medical insurance and self-payment information

Lecanemab - LEQEMBI is an anti-amyloid-targeting monoclonal antibody drug for patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and mild Alzheimer's disease. It has been officially approved for marketing in China, but has not yet been included in the medical insurance list. This means that if patients need to use the drug in China, they must bear all the drug costs themselves and face high financial expenditure pressure. At the same time, due to factors such as drug supply channels, hospital procurement and inventory, patients may encounter difficulties in obtaining drugs in a timely manner during the actual purchase process, making medication more challenging.

In the absence of domestic medical insurance, LEQEMBI ’s treatment costs are mainly borne by patients themselves, and the overall expenditure is relatively high. Since the drug itself is a high-end targeted antibody treatment, the dosage and course design determine that the cost is not a one-time expense, but gradually accumulates over the course of the treatment. For patients and families, they should fully assess their financial affordability before making treatment decisions, and communicate with their doctors in detail about medication expectations, treatment schedules, and possible financial burdens.

In overseas markets, LEQEMBI is also expensive. For example, each box of the US version of the original drug sells for about more than 10,000 yuan (approximately US dollar price fluctuation), which does not include hospital infusion, monitoring and related care costs. The overall cost of treatment increases further for patients who require long-term maintenance therapy. Some patients or families will consider purchasing drugs overseas, but they need to pay special attention to the regulations, transportation, storage conditions and legality of cross-border drug purchases to ensure drug safety and reliable quality.

Generally speaking, the treatment cost of lencanezumab‑LEQEMBI is relatively high, with a large proportion of out-of-pocket expenses and the lack of medical insurance coverage, which makes many patients need to weigh the efficacy and economic burden when choosing treatment. Currently, it is recommended that patients and their families evaluate treatment options with their attending doctors and explore possible assistance projects or medical insurance supplements to minimize cost pressure. At the same time, pay attention to the dynamic changes in national and local medical insurance policies so that you can enjoy timely reimbursement benefits after the drugs are included in medical insurance in the future.

Reference materials:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lecanemab