Media discussion about newly approved Alzheimer's disease treatment Aduhelm (aducanumab) has focused much attention on its high price tag and questionable efficacy. But the drug, which was developed by Biogen (NASDAQ: BIIB) in partnership with Japanese pharma Eisai (OTC: ESALY) , has additional hurdles and risks that went largely undiscussed.
Biogen is charging approximately $56,000 for a year's worth of doses, so given that there are 30 million Alzheimer's patients worldwide -- 1 million to 2 million of them in the U.S. alone -- Aduhelm need not achieve significant market penetration to be a winner. Yet despite its sizable potential market, there are three less-discussed reasons why sales of the drug may still fall short of expectations.
Aduhelm must be administered to patients via one-hour monthly infusions. Because this is a recurrent intravenous (IV) therapy, patients will have two options: Have an IV placed every time they go for treatment, or undergo placement of an infusion port -- a device implanted under the skin to which medical professionals can easily and rapidly attach a new IV. Getting an infusion port often requires a separate visit to the hospital for placement by a specialist, sometimes under sedation.
For further details see:
3 More Reasons Biogen's Alzheimer's Drug Will Underperform Wall Street Expectations