Eli Lilly Alzheimer’s drug donanemab approved in China

Investing.com– Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) said on Tuesday evening that China’s food and drug regulator had approved its Kisunla treatment for early symptomatic Alzheimer’s disease- the fourth major market to approve the treatment. 

The treatment was approved by the National Medical (TASE:PMCN) Products Administration in China, after being approved in the U.S., Japan, and the UK earlier this year. Kisunla- which is sold under the name donanemab, was approved by the U.S. FDA in July. 

Donanemab is the second major treatment for Alzheimer’s, after Eisai Co., Ltd. (TYO:4523) and Biogen Inc’s (NASDAQ:BIIB) Leqembi, which was approved in 2023. Both treatments target an Alzheimer’s-related protein called beta amyloid, clearing it from the brain. 

A major point of difference between Donanemab and Leqembi is that the Eli Lilly treatment requires finite dosing, in that treatment can be stopped once the amyloid plaques are cleared from the brain. The treatment is priced much higher in the U.S., at about $32,000 for 12 months of treatment, compared to a $26,500 cost for Leqembi.