The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday granted full approval to the Biogen BIIB and Eisai Co. Ltd. ESALF Alzheimer’s treatment Leqembi, a step that secures Medicare reimbursement for the first drug shown to slow the progress of the disease, rather than just treating its symptoms. Leqembi, also known as lecanemab, is a monoclonal antibody designed to reduce the buildup of amyloid beta plaque in the brain, a marker of Alzheimer’s disease. In a late-stage trial, the treatment slowed declines in cognition and function by 27% compared with a placebo over 18 months. About 6.7 million people in the U.S. age 65 and…
