Bipartisan bill aims to get CMS to cover Alzheimer's antibody treatments
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Two members of the House have introduced legislation that would require CMS to evaluate Alzheimer's monoclonal antibody treatments that target amyloid in the brain individually as opposed to a class as is the case now.
The legislation, the Mandating Exclusive Review of Individual Treatments (MERIT) Act, comes in direct response to the agency's National Coverage Determination earlier this year on Biogen's (NASDAQ:BIIB) Alzheimer's treatment Aduhelm (aducanumab). The ruling also impacts other antibody treatments that target amyloid for Alzheimer's, but not other Alzheimer's therapies that have a different mechanism of action.
This means that companies including Cassava Sciences (SAVA), Anavex Life Sciences (AVXL), and Annovis Bio (ANVS) are not impacted as their Alzheimer's treatments in development are not antibodies. 
In April, CMS decided to severely limit coverage of Aduhelm, essentially eliminating its market, saying that the treatment and other monoclonal antibodies that target amyloid plaque would only be covered in a clinical trial. This was even though the US FDA approved Aduhelm, the data supporting its approval was seen as weak in terms of actually slowing cognitive decline.
The introduction of the MERIT Act from Reps. Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.) and Nanette BarragÃ¡n (D-Calif.) is timely given that Biogen (BIIB) and partner Eisai (OTCPK:ESALY) recently presented data on lecanemab which indicated the monoclonal antibody slowed cognitive decline. It works by targeting amyloid plaque. 
"With additional drugs to treat Alzheimerâs preparing to come to market soon, this bill will ensure those drugs receive fair and accurate consideration for coverage, rather than requiring onerous additional steps before CMS will make them available to Medicare beneficiaries," a news release from Buchanan's office stated.
Other pharma companies are also pursuing Alzheimer's treatment that targets amyloid. These include Roche (OTCQX:RHHBY), Eli Lilly (NYSE:LLY) with, respectively, gantenerumab and donanemab.