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The rollout of long-awaited Alzheimer’s treatments looks set to start as a case of the haves and the have-nots. Clinics and academic hospitals in large cities are recruiting neurologists and buying screening equipment on a bet that Biogen and Eisai’s drug Leqembi will win full approval this summer and draw a flood of new patients. Eli Lilly’s treatment donanemab could also be up for approval this year or next and could draw even more patients seeking care.

☆ Doctors Have Long Warned That Chokeholds Are Deadly
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Gina Kolata | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Chokeholds or strangleholds are known also as neck compressions, which involve applying pressure to both sides of the neck. They are allowed in some martial arts competitions, and certain U.S. military personnel in ground-combat units may learn to apply chokeholds, and associated safe releases, in training. But in the past few years, police departments have increasingly banned the use of chokeholds, following events such as the deaths of Eric Garner and George Floyd. There are few data on how often police have used the holds, or what the consequences were. Among the few studies is one reporting that officers in Spokane, Wash., used neck restraints 230 times in the eight years before May 2021, when Washington State banned them.

☆ Alzheimer’s patients may wait years to get treated with new drugs, putting them at risk of more severe disease
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +17 min

But time spent waiting robs early patients of their memory and ability to live independently. This condition is often, though not always, a sign of early Alzheimer's disease. PET scans cumbersomeTwo types of tests can diagnosis Alzheimer's disease: PET scans and spinal taps. Early Alzheimer's disease can also be diagnosed with a spinal tap, in which fluid around the spinal cord is extracted with a catheter and tested. He believes big players like CVS will provide infusions for Alzheimer's disease on a major scale if they see there's a large and stable market.

☆ Biogen isn't concerned about competing with Eli Lilly in the Alzheimer’s drug space, CEO says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Biogen isn't worried about competing with Eli Lilly as they both attempt to bring an Alzheimer's drug to the market, Biogen's CEO said Tuesday. Researchers argue that the accumulation of amyloid plaque is a crucial first step toward the cognitive decline observed in Alzheimer's disease. Eli Lilly didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. He said that will likely require Eli Lilly and Biogen to roll out maintenance doses that will keep plaque levels low. Biogen is banking on the success of its drug leqembi after the disastrous approval and rollout of its old Alzheimer's drug aduhelm last year.

☆ 'It totally backfired': The pitfalls of Alzheimer's genetic testing
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Julie Steenhuysen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

CHICAGO, April 21 (Reuters) - Wendy Nelson watched her mother slowly die of Alzheimer's disease, unable to move or swallow at the end. When her father's memory began to fail a year later, one of her two sisters doubted it could be Alzheimer's, Nelson said. THE TESTING REVOLUTIONUntil recently, most doctors tended not to order genetic tests to determine Alzheimer's risk, because there were no effective treatments to slow or prevent the disease. US regulators recommend genetic testing before starting treatment with Leqembi. Some members of families with increased genetic risk of Alzheimer's say it might be better not to know at all.

☆ Tua Tagovailoa admits considering retirement after suffering multiple concussions
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Wayne Sterling | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa said Wednesday he considered walking away from football “for a time” after suffering multiple concussions last season. “I always dreamed of playing as long as I could to where my son knew exactly what he was watching his dad do. I love the game of football, if I didn’t, I would have quit a long time [ago].”Tagovailoa suffered multiple concussions last season causing him to miss five games, including the playoffs. This offseason, Tagovailoa is doing jiu-jitsu training to help him learn how to fall carefully. Tagovailoa will make a fully guaranteed $23.17 million for the 2024 season, according to the NFL.

☆ A new long Covid treatment shows promise, but insurance won't cover it and some doctors are skeptical: Here's why
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Some long Covid patients swear by the treatment, with one describing it to CNBC Make It as a "total game changer." That's a huge stumbling block for many medical experts, who caution against viewing it as a universal remedy for long Covid. Most of the ones who do get treated have reported improved long Covid symptoms, the clinic adds. That's because a variety of underlying physiological conditions — like chronic lung issues, for example — can "drive different manifestations of long Covid," says Dr. Lucy Horton, an infectious disease physician who founded the long Covid clinic at UC San Diego Health. "For many [Covid] long haulers, including myself, financial freedom is gone because we can't work full-time."

☆ Senators call on Medicare to offer broad coverage of Alzheimer's treatments as public pressure grows
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

U.S. senators on Friday called for Medicare to offer broad coverage of Alzheimer's treatments approved by the Food and Drug Administration, warning that current restrictions cost patients precious time as their disease progresses. The 20 senators told CMS that Alzheimer's will cost the nation $1 trillion by 2050 if the U.S. does not take decisive action. As a consequence, Medicare coverage for the expensive drug is basically nonexistent. The Alzheimer's Association wrote CMS in December calling for the agency to provide unrestricted Medicare coverage for Leqembi. "We believe Medicare beneficiaries should have unimpeded access, broad and simple access to Leqembi because the data fulfill those criteria."

Earlier, much smaller U.S. studies conducted in the mid-1980's had suggested roughly 60,000 people are diagnosed with Parkinson's disease each year. The estimated economic cost is $52 billion annually in the United States alone, according to a report of the study published in npj Parkinson's Disease. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research obtain increased funding for research and access to care. A separate study by Beck's team recently put the number of U.S. patients living with Parkinson's disease at nearly 1 million, whereas earlier estimates had been closer to 650,000, he said. "Because the U.S. population is aging, a lot of people are going to be entering the health system with Parkinson's disease," Beck said, "and there are only about 700 neurologists in the country who specialize in movement disorders."

☆ What is stiff person syndrome?
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Raenu Charles | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Stiff person syndrome is a rare neurological condition that can take years to diagnose and tailor treatment. What is stiff person syndrome? The first case of stiff person syndrome was reported in the 1950s, according to Newsome, and the disease was historically referred to as “stiff man syndrome.”Since then, it has been found to affect twice as many women than men, and the name was changed to stiff person syndrome to avoid confusion. On average, it takes about seven years for someone to receive a diagnosis of stiff person syndrome, Newsome says. “Sometimes, [patients] get labeled crazy,” he said, “because on exam early on, there aren’t the hallmark features of stiff person syndrome.”How is stiff person syndrome treated?

The authors noted that “social forces” may have played a part in the accelerated brain aging seen among their Black subjects. A lot of things contribute to dementia and Alzheimer’s, like high blood pressure and diabetes. Pete Comparoni“Elevated blood pressure is a very strong risk factor for worsening cerebrovascular disease,” King said. One option is through activities like restorative yoga, which Grant said can help address stress and regulate blood pressure and brain function. You have to go to your primary care doctor and check your blood pressure and blood sugar level.

☆ Goldman upgrades Biogen, says it’s poised to address early Alzheimer’s market next year
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Tanaya Macheel | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Biogen shares have a lot more potential upside for investors thanks to positive new data around the company's early Alzheimer's drug, Goldman Sachs said Wednesday. The upgrade followed the company's earnings call, which had a big focus on the drug, lecanemab, an anti-amyloid antibody that is in phase 3 trials. Goldman also raised its revenue estimates for the drug to $14 billion in 2035, compared with prior estimates of $2 billion. "The company is now poised to address the early Alzheimer's disease market in 2023+ following the recent topline lecanemab Ph3 (CLARITY-AD) data," Goldman analyst Salveen Richter said in a note. "With BIIB shares now trading at ~$270 post the topline CLARITY-AD data, there is roughly ~$80/share reflected in the stock for Alzhiemer's disease," Richter said.

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