[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 118 (Tuesday, July 11, 2023)]
[House]
[Pages H3183-H3184]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            NEW HOPE FOR AMERICANS WITH ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE

  (Mrs. KIGGANS of Virginia asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. KIGGANS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, as a geriatric nurse 
practitioner, I have had the privilege of taking care of our Greatest 
Generation in various long-term care facilities, including many 
patients with cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease.
  Currently, more than 6 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's 
disease. This disease denies millions of families the opportunity to 
cherish memories and robs people of their ability to remember their 
family members and loved ones.
  Until 6 days ago, all FDA-approved Alzheimer's drugs merely targeted 
the symptoms of the disease, never its progression. Thankfully, last 
Wednesday,

[[Page H3184]]

the FDA issued a long-awaited approval of Leqembi, the first-of-its-
kind drug that changes the underlying course of early Alzheimer's 
disease.
  This drug, which has shown promising results of slowing the 
progression of Alzheimer's by more than 25 percent over 18 months, will 
be fully available to Medicare patients, but providers will have to 
enter patients into a registry to collect information, and many 
families will still have to pay a significant out-of-pocket copay.
  It is imperative that CMS continues to find ways to lift these 
barriers to this life-changing treatment and that CMS also changes its 
policy to allow for more than one PET scan, which has the ability to 
detect the amyloid plaque that causes Alzheimer's disease.
  By having more treatment options available, patients can maintain 
their independence longer, get more precious time with their families, 
and have renewed hope for the future.
  I will continue to work across the aisle in Congress and with the FDA 
and CMS to ensure all Alzheimer's patients have equitable and 
affordable access to innovative drugs such as this.

                          ____________________