U.S. formally approves Alzheimer's drug developed by Japan's Eisai

U.S. regulators on Thursday formally approved an Alzheimer's drug developed by Japanese pharmaceutical company Eisai Co. and U.S. firm Biogen Inc. that has become the world's first medicine shown to slow the onset of the degenerative brain disease.The Food and Drug Administration granted its approval for the new drug, known chemically as lecanemab and branded Leqembi, which can reduce the amount of a sticky brain protein called amyloid beta, seen by experts as a hallmark of the disease.Treatment with the drug, which Eisai expects to cost $26,500 annually before insurance coverage, is intend…READ FULL ARTICLE