Overview

• German hospitals begin administering lecanemab infusions on 1 September under the brand Leqembi.
• The European Commission authorized use in April for patients with mild cognitive impairment or early dementia, requiring biomarker confirmation of Alzheimer’s pathology.
• Therapy is delivered by infusion every two weeks for at least 18 months with MRI surveillance, with a potential switch to monthly dosing after around one year.
• Trials reported brain swelling in about 13% of participants and small brain bleeds in about 17%, effects often detectable only on MRI and prompting strict monitoring.
• Eligibility excludes ApoE4 homozygotes and many with vascular risks or certain anticoagulants, limiting access to roughly 10–20% of dementia patients, while German coverage terms are still being negotiated and the U.S. list price is about $26,500 per year.