In a landmark move poised to reshape Alzheimer’s disease management for millions, China has formally included the innovative treatment Leqembi (lecanemab) in its newly established “Commercial Insurance Innovative Drug List.” This strategic decision, announced by BioArctic’s partner Eisai, represents a significant advancement in making cutting-edge therapies for early-stage Alzheimer’s disease more accessible and affordable within the world’s most populous nation. The inclusion addresses a critical gap in healthcare coverage, offering a new pathway for patients to obtain treatments that fall outside the scope of the basic national reimbursement system. This development is not merely an administrative update; it signals a fundamental shift in leveraging public-private partnerships to tackle one of the most pressing health challenges associated with an aging demographic. The move is a culmination of a global collaborative effort, bringing a drug based on pioneering research to one of the largest and fastest-growing patient populations globally.
A New Framework for Healthcare Access
The “Commercial Insurance Innovative Drug List” is a novel policy instrument introduced by China’s National Healthcare Security Administration (NHSA) to address the affordability of groundbreaking medicines. This framework is specifically designed to create a bridge between the basic National Reimbursement Drug List (NRDL), which provides foundational coverage, and innovative drugs that target high unmet medical needs but often come with a significant price tag. Rather than directly funding these therapies through the state system, the policy encourages commercial insurance companies to develop and offer specialized insurance products that cover the medicines on this exclusive list. The mechanism operates through a negotiation process where pharmaceutical firms, such as Eisai, work directly with private insurers to establish terms, thereby fostering a competitive market for supplemental health plans. This public-private model is an inventive solution to expand patient access without overburdening the national healthcare budget, effectively creating a new tier of coverage for those who need it most.
Addressing a National Health Challenge
The timing and impact of this inclusion are particularly critical given the scale of the Alzheimer’s crisis in China. Eisai estimated that in 2024, there were approximately 17 million individuals in the country living with mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia attributable to Alzheimer’s disease, a figure projected to increase substantially as the population ages. Although Eisai launched Leqembi into China’s private market in June 2024, its high cost remained a formidable barrier for the vast majority of patients. The establishment of this new insurance pathway, set to become effective on January 1, 2026, provides a structured and potentially widespread solution to this affordability challenge. The drug itself is a product of international cooperation; it was originally developed by BioArctic, building on foundational research into the Arctic mutation linked to Alzheimer’s. Eisai then assumed responsibility for the drug’s comprehensive clinical development, regulatory approvals, and global commercialization. Leqembi’s addition to the innovative drug list was a pivotal step that leveraged this collaborative success to make a tangible difference for millions of patients and their families.
