BioArctic AB’s partner Eisai announced the US availability of lecanemab-irmb subcutaneous injection (Leqembi Iqlik) as a maintenance treatment for early Alzheimer’s disease (AD), including patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or mild dementia.
After completing 18 months of intravenous (IV) treatment at 10 mg/kg every two weeks, patients may now continue IV infusions every four weeks or switch to the weekly 360 mg subcutaneous injection using the Leqembi Iqlik autoinjector. This marks the first anti-amyloid therapy that allows at-home administration after initial treatment.
Eisai and Biogen have launched the Leqembi Companion program to support patients and care partners throughout their treatment journey. The program provides:
Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by amyloid-beta (Aβ) and tau accumulation. Leqembi uniquely targets both amyloid plaques and protofibrils, impacting tau pathology downstream and addressing neurodegeneration more comprehensively.
Importance of Maintenance Therapy
Stopping treatment can lead to reaccumulation of AD biomarkers and return to placebo-level cognitive decline. Continuing therapy after the initial 18 months is essential to slow disease progression and extend therapeutic benefits.
At-Home Convenience with Leqembi Iqlik
The subcutaneous injection enables patients to continue treatment at home, reducing time spent at infusion centers and minimizing healthcare resource demands. It also frees infusion capacity for new patients initiating therapy and streamlines the AD treatment pathway.
Background and Development
Leqembi is a humanized IgG1 monoclonal antibody developed by BioArctic, based on the discovery of the Arctic mutation in Alzheimer’s disease by Professor Lars Lannfelt. Eisai handles clinical development, regulatory approvals, and commercialization, while BioArctic retains rights in the Nordic region.
Leqembi is approved in 50 countries, including the US, Japan, China, and the EU, for early AD. The Leqembi Iqlik autoinjector is approved for maintenance subcutaneous dosing in the US. Ongoing clinical studies include AHEAD 3-45 in preclinical AD and Tau NexGen for Dominantly Inherited AD (DIAD).
BioArctic AB is a Swedish research-based biopharmaceutical company developing treatments to delay or halt neurodegenerative disease progression. The company invented Leqembi, the first drug proven to slow disease progression and reduce cognitive decline in early Alzheimer’s disease.