For the first time, Health Canada has approved a new drug that can slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease and it’s giving new hope that the disease can be tackled early.
On Monday, Health Canada announced approval for lecanemab, commercially known as “Leqembi.”
The treatment has already been approved in some other countries, including the U.S., the U.K., Japan, Mexico and China. It is currently under regulatory review in 15 other countries and regions, including the European Union.
Lecanemab is meant for adults who have a clinical diagnosis of mild dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease.
It’s also not covered under provincial insurance programs. Source
Most new drugs aren’t covered instantly after they are approved for use.
Like most burocracies it always takes time for the provinces to update their formulary.