What is Leqembi?
Leqembi is a treatment for people with Alzheimer’s disease. It helps slow declines in memory and thinking that lead to inefficiencies and disabilities in daily activities such as using technology, managing finances and managing a home. It does this by targeting amyloid plaques in the brain.
Who is eligible?
Leqembi is for adults with:
- Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to Alzheimer’s disease
- Mild dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease
- It is not recommended for people taking blood thinners
How does Leqembi work?
Leqembi is a lab-made antibody that attaches to amyloid in the brain. It helps the body clear this protein and slows the decline in daily abilities.
How is Leqembi given?
- Intravenous (IV) infusion every two weeks
- Each session lasts about one hour
- Monitoring afterward for side effects
Testing before treatment
Your care team will confirm eligibility with:
- Cognitive testing
- MRI scans for brain safety
- Blood tests to rule out other causes
- APOE genetic testing
- Amyloid testing by PET scan or spinal fluid
Read more about Leqembi Screening Process and Eligibility
What is the APOE gene?
The APOE gene affects both Alzheimer’s risk and the chance of side effects. People with the e4 version have a higher risk of brain swelling or small bleeds. Testing helps guide safe treatment decisions.
More about APOE Testing and Leqembi FAQ
Side effects
Most common:
- Brain swelling or microbleeds (usually without symptoms)
- Headaches, falls, diarrhea, or allergic reactions
Learn more about Leqembi Side Effects
Monitoring schedule
- MRI before the 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 14th infusions
- Consent for data collection if covered by Medicare
Learn more about Treatment Requirements
Do you live outside the Philadelphia region for long stretches?
At Penn Memory Center, patient safety is a top priority. This is especially true when administering anti-amyloid therapies, which require close monitoring due to the risks of Amyloid-Related Imaging Abnormalities (ARIA). Given these safety concerns, we are currently administering infusions exclusively at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP).
The anti-amyloid therapy infusion policy is as follows:
- Patients will complete initial infusions and the first three safety MRIs at HUP.
- Penn Medicine is actively exploring options to collaborate with infusion centers closer to patients’ primary residences after the third safety MRI, but this cannot be guaranteed.
- Patients wishing to continue their infusions beyond the Greater Philadelphia region should identify a local neurologist or specialist to take over prescribing and monitoring responsibilities.
We are continuously working to improve convenience of care while maintaining the highest standard of care. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation.
Cost
Leqembi’s price is about $26,500 per year. Insurance and Medicare will determine out-of-pocket costs.
Questions or appointments
Contact Penn Memory Center: pennmemorycenter@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Leqembi resources:
- Leqembi (Lecanemab) FAQ
- Leqembi Side Effects
- Leqembi Screening Process and Eligibility
- APOE Testing and Leqembi FAQ
- Leqembi MRI, Lab Work, and Infusions FAQ Handout
- Leqembi MRI, Lab Work, and Infusions FAQ Video
- APOE Relatives Education FAQ
- Care Partner Expectations
Additional resources from Leqembi.com:
- Early Alzheimer’s treatment| Leqembi ® (lecanemab-irmb)
- About Leqembi | Leqembi ® (lecanemab-irmb)
- Medication-Guide.pdf (leqembi.com)
Leqembi in the news
- FDA grants accelerated approval for Alzheimer’s disease treatment FDA.gov
- Alzheimer’s drug shows modest success slowing declines in memory, thinking, NPR
- APOE genotyping will play a major role in lecanemab prescribing the clinical, ethical, and financial ramifications, Neurology Today
- There’s finally a fully approved Alzheimer’s drug – but getting it won’t be easy, TIME