The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has concluded that the benefits from two treatments for early Alzheimer’s Disease, donanemab and lecanemab, remain too small to justify the additional cost.
On 19 June 2025, NICE concluded that lecanemab and donanemab in the treatment of early Alzheimer’s disease do not demonstrate sufficient benefit for their cost, including the cost of administering them. This news comes, despite evidence suggesting that these treatments could delay progression from mild to moderate Alzheimer’s by 4-6 months.
The committee also concluded in their draft guidance that if these treatments were recommended, the NHS would need to significantly change the current diagnostic and treatment pathways in Alzheimer’s disease.
Read the draft guidance for donanemab
Read the draft guidance for lecanemab
ADI CEO Paola Barbarino shares her opinion on the recent news:
The idea that a state does not approve a treatment for the deadliest disease in its population because it is not prepared to offer diagnosis at scale just reinforces the point that dementia continues to be the forgotten terminal disease, a victim of ageism in society with dire consequences. We need to start thinking about this differently. Dementia diagnosis at a the right time, before decline is inevitable, is not a bad thing, it is a good thing. It will save carers and people with the condition years of worries, stress and financial difficulties if they can maintain cognition for longer.
ADI advocates for the right of choice for people living with dementia and their carers to access timely treatment.