A month after approving a controversial new Alzheimer’s drug, federal health regulators Thursday signed off on new prescribing instructions that are likely to limit its use. The new drug label emphasizes that the drug, Aduhelm, is appropriate for patients with mild symptoms or early-stage Alzheimer’s but has not been studied in patients with more advanced disease. That’s a big change from the original FDA instructions, which said simply that the drug was approved for Alzheimer’s disease in general. Despite the update, the FDA added that “some patients may benefit from ongoing treatment” if they develop more advanced Alzheimer’s. Doctors could still prescribe the drug for more advanced patients, though insurers might refuse to pay for it, citing the FDA label.

Source: Los Angeles Times July 09, 2021 07:30 UTC