The European Commission has approved Eli Lilly's Alzheimer treatment Kisunla for the European market. This antibody medication can slow disease progression for patients in early stages.
Kisunla contains the substance donanemab. Studies show it can delay Alzheimer's progression by approximately seven months. The European Medicines Agency recommended the drug in July 2024.
This marks the second Alzheimer treatment of its kind available in the EU. Bioarctic's lecanemab received approval earlier under the name Leqembi.
Swedish patients must wait for the NT Council to review the treatment before it becomes available. The council will provide recommendations about its use in Sweden.
The treatment costs about $32,000 annually in the United States. That equals roughly 307,000 Swedish kronor. European pricing remains unclear.
Why does drug approval take so long after EMA recommendation? The European Commission makes final decisions after scientific assessment. This extra step ensures safety standards meet EU requirements.
Two similar Alzheimer drugs now competing in Europe could pressure prices downward. But these treatments remain expensive for healthcare systems.