The drug maker Biogen reported on Thursday that its controversial Alzheimer’s drug Aduhelm brought in $2 million in its first few weeks of availability, the first revenue for a treatment that is expected to generate billions of dollars and strain Medicare’s budget within a few years. The company did not disclose the number of patients that have received the drug, which is priced at $56,000 annually on average. Industry analysts expected the drug to get off to a modest start. Administration sites — typically memory clinics that see patients with cognitive problems — have been slowed by the complexities of administering the drug, which must be given as a monthly intravenous infusion. In the meantime, some Medicare Advantage plans, an alternative to traditional Medicare that is offered by private insurance companies, have already approved patients to receive the drug, the company said.

Source: New York Times July 22, 2021 14:15 UTC