WASHINGTON — Ahead of a major Food and Drug Administration meeting on a new Alzheimer’s treatment this week, several Democratic lawmakers are ratcheting up their criticism of how the Biden administration is planning to handle a potential approval this summer.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who leads the Senate’s health committee, wrote to health secretary Xavier Becerra on Wednesday asking him to ”use the full extent” of his authority to ensure Medicare doesn’t pay the list price of $26,500 for Eisai and Biogen’s Leqembi.
“Alzheimer’s is a horrible disease. We must do everything possible to find a cure for the millions of people who suffer from it. But we cannot allow pharmaceutical companies to bankrupt Medicare and our federal government in the process,” Sanders wrote.
About the Author Reprints
Exciting news! STAT has moved its comment section to our subscriber-only app, STAT+ Connect. Subscribe to STAT+ today to join the conversation or join us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Threads. Let's stay connected!
To submit a correction request, please visit our Contact Us page.