Eli Lilly and Company Announces Approval of Kisunla Treatment for Early Symptomatic Alzheimer’s Disease in China
Eli Lilly and Company has announced that China’s National Medical Products Administration has approved its Kisunla treatment for early symptomatic Alzheimer’s disease. This marks the fourth major market to approve the treatment, following the U.S., Japan, and the UK earlier this year.
Kisunla, sold under the name donanemab, was approved by the U.S. FDA in July. It is the second major treatment for Alzheimer’s, after Leqembi, approved by Eisai Co., Ltd. and Biogen Inc in 2023. Both treatments target an Alzheimer’s-related protein called beta amyloid, clearing it from the brain.
A key difference between Donanemab and Leqembi is that Donanemab requires finite dosing, meaning treatment can be stopped once amyloid plaques are cleared from the brain. The treatment is priced at around $32,000 for 12 months of treatment in the U.S., compared to a cost of $26,500 for Leqembi.
