The Cruel Math of the New Dementia Drugs

Leqembi and Kisunla promise to buy you a few extra months of memories, but the logistical gauntlet will eat those months alive.

Last July, the FDA fully approved Leqembi, a drug that promises to slow cognitive decline in early Alzheimer's by about 27 percent over 18 months. Translated into human terms, that is roughly five months of preserved memory. But to buy those five months, you must first survive an administrative gauntlet designed by Kafka and funded by your life savings. It is a grueling cycle of bi-weekly infusions, constant brain scans, and insurance fights that can break even the most resilient families.

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