Healthcare professionals back NICE decision to reject ‘cost ineffective’ Alzheimer’s treatment on cash-strapped NHS budget, research finds

Healthcare professionals have taken to social media to praise the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) decision to reject a new Alzheimer’s treatment for use on the NHS as “rational and sensible”, according to recent research. 

An analysis of the social media conversations of healthcare professionals immediately following the health body’s announcement that it would not recommend Lecanemab for use on the NHS found that HCPs were broadly in agreement with the decision. 

On the 22nd August, NICE published draft guidance that suggested the amyloid plaque-targeting treatment was “not a cost effective use of limited NHS funding”. They concluded that there were “relatively small benefits”, meaning it “cannot be considered good value for the taxpayer”.

Research by digital insights consultancy Creation Healthcare found healthcare professionals online appeared to share a similar view in reference to lecanemab’s relative benefits, which justified NICE’s decision. Several took to social media to express this sentiment explicitly. Andy White, a Chief Scientist, for example, responded to a post referencing the announcement saying that he was “astonished” that lecanemab had been approved by the MHRA in the first place, given its “marginal gains” in slowing Alzheimer’s progression.

Reshma Ramachandran, an Assistant Professor at Yale School of Medicine, also took to X (formerly Twitter) to argue that the drug’s “marginal benefits” do “not outweigh its serious harms.” Devan Sinha added that lecanemab’s cognitive performance versus the current standard of care was unknown or possibly inferior.

Dr Shibley Rahman, among a number of posts in support of NICE’s announcement, described the decision as “rational and sensible”, saying that it was “dispiriting” to see “such bold moves” to undermine the body. Several HCPs responded in agreement, including Dr Partha Kar, who said that he “couldn’t agree more” with Dr Rahman’s conclusion. 

Dr Matt Makin, Medical Director at North Manchester General Hospital, also expressed agreement with Dr Rahman. “Hard agree”, he responded, adding that the “hardest question [is] where do we draw the line to ensure patients get the best outcomes per pound spent[?]”.

The responses of healthcare professionals towards the news paint an interesting contrast when compared with other mainstream voices. The day after the announcement, the Daily Mail led their front page with “Fury as dementia drug denied to patients on NHS”, while the Daily Express opted for “Why is it only rich can get Alzheimer’s wonder drug?”. While using a different tone to the news media, Alzheimer's Society also responded saying the decision was “disappointing and will be disheartening”.

Daniel Ghinn, Founder and CEO of Creation Healthcare, said:

“According to our research over the last two years, concerns among HCPs about lecanemab’s safety profile and relative benefits are not especially new. Many have previously expressed their concerns on social media, with a noted increase in the number of online mentions particularly concentrated around the drug’s approvals - or indeed rejections - across the world.”

“It is interesting to note, however, that the HCP sentiment towards the recent NICE decision appears to go against the grain of some wider media coverage. The social media discussions of healthcare professionals, as made clear in this case, offer a hugely valuable tool with which to identify and understand the underlying issues and sentiments that lie beneath the surface of the approval, delivery, and media coverage of the most significant new treatment developments.”