HCA Healthcare offers new therapies for patients with early-stage Alzheimer’s

HCA Healthcare UK is offering amyloid-targeting therapies for patients with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease.

The company said it was one of only a few providers in the UK to make lecanemab and donanemab – the first two disease-modifying treatments for Alzheimer’s disease licensed for use in the UK following MRHA approval last year – available to patients.

The therapies have been shown to modestly slow disease progression in patients with mild cognitive impairment or early-stage dementia caused by Alzheimer’s.

HCA is offering the 18-month treatment programme to self-pay patients under the care of dementia-specialist consultant neurologist Dr Johnathan Chan at London Bridge Hospital.

‘Alzheimer’s is the most common dementia, affecting 60% of cases in the UK. While current treatments only ease symptoms, new licensed drugs can now slow the disease’s progression for certain patients,’ he said. ‘Clinical trials showed lecanemab reduced cognitive decline by 27% and reduced decline in a patient’s quality of life by up to 56%. Access to treatment programmes, like those now available at London Bridge Hospital, can greatly impact patients’ journeys.’

London Bridge Hospital chief executive Janene Madden added: ‘Across HCA Healthcare UK we are committed to actively embracing innovation and the early adoption of effective treatment options such as lecanemab. The introduction of amyloid-targeting therapies at London Bridge Hospital is a positive step in the treatment of early-stage Alzheimer’s disease, helping to shape the future of neurological care, offering new hope and improved outcomes for patients in our care.’