Cost Analysis of Imaging-Guided Lecanemab Treatment in Alzheimer's Disease: Three-Year Projections
This health economics study examines costs associated with using neuroimaging (PET and MRI) to identify Alzheimer's disease patients most likely to benefit from lecanemab treatment over three years. The authors highlight a critical concern: approximately 78% of patients with mild cognitive impairment do not progress to dementia, making prophylactic treatment in all MCI patients costly and ethically problematic; they identify combined fluorodeoxyglucose and MRI imaging as the most cost-efficient approach at $177,000 per positive outcome with adjusted lecanemab pricing.