The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published a successful outcome for Lilly’s appeal against final draft guidance which does not recommend NHS reimbursement of Kisunla®▼ (donanemab) for the treatment of mild cognitive impairment and mild dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease.

This decision means the final draft guidance will be returned to the relevant programme, and the committee will meet to consider the issues raised and upheld by the appeal panel. These issues include: the consideration of unpaid carer costs with the appraisal, the committee’s conclusion on the evidence relating to caregiver quality of life, considerations regarding the estimates for infusion cost seen in the NHS, and long-term data for donanemab.

In 2024, dementia’s economic impact was estimated at £42.5 billion, with unpaid care and social care costs accounting for most of this figure. Alzheimer’s Society estimates nearly half of patients and carers fully fund their own social care at an average annual cost of £70,000 – £80,000, which is approximately double the average salary of a full-time employee in the UK. With an ageing population, the economic, physical, emotional and social burden will only continue to grow, therefore equitable access to treatments for Alzheimer’s disease is urgently needed.

Chris Stokes, General Manager of the Northern European Hub at Lilly said: “This is a big moment in the battle against Alzheimer’s disease. NICE was right to look again at the evidence in front of them and it’s welcome that our appeal has been upheld. For people living with Alzheimer’s disease, and for the families and carers who support them, this matters, perhaps now more than ever.

“We now look to NICE to use the flexibilities outlined in the manual, as it reassesses the evidence that Lilly, clinical experts and patient advocates have put forward, so that we can work towards our shared goal of ensuring all eligible patients with Alzheimer’s disease can access approved treatment options on the NHS as quickly as possible.”