Part two of our series reveals concerning disparities in which patients receive breakthrough treatments
Earlier this year, we explored how new Alzheimer’s disease (AD) treatments are driving unprecedented changes in screening and clinician education. Following approval of disease-modifying therapies, cognitive screening rose by 10%, biomarker testing by 23%, and amyloid pathology testing surged more than 13-fold.
But our latest analysis uncovers a troubling reality: These medical breakthroughs aren’t reaching all patients equally.
Unequal Access to Breakthrough Treatments
Our new research brief examines real-world treatment patterns for lecanemab across its first 18 months of availability, analyzing over 3,600 patients through Komodo’s Healthcare Map®. The findings reveal stark disparities that challenge assumptions about equitable access to breakthrough therapies.
Consider this: Men received treatment for AD at 47% higher rates than women despite women comprising 64% of AD diagnoses. Meanwhile, Black patients, who have a higher risk of developing AD, made up just 10% of diagnosed patients and only 3% of those receiving treatment.
Insurance status revealed perhaps the most dramatic treatment gap. Commercially insured patients — just 3.7% of the AD population — accounted for 11% of all treatments, with rates 17 times higher than Medicaid-insured patients.
What This Means for Healthcare
These numbers are more than just statistics. They represent missed opportunities for patients who could benefit from life-changing treatments. The patterns we’ve identified have immediate implications for how pharmaceutical companies design access programs, how health systems approach screening protocols, and how policymakers think about healthcare equity.
Our analysis also revealed encouraging trends in healthcare professional (HCP) engagement. For example, clinicians showed significant improvements in knowledge and confidence around AD screening and diagnosis following targeted education initiatives.
The Full Picture
The complete research brief provides comprehensive data on screening patterns, treatment disparities, HCP engagement trends, and actionable recommendations for addressing access gaps. Our methodology leveraged both the Healthcare Map and Medscape Education’s PULSE platform to deliver insights that can drive meaningful change in AD care equity.
Download the full research brief to explore the detailed findings and discover how stakeholders can work to ensure that breakthrough treatments reach the patients who need them most.
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This represents part two of our AD treatment analysis series. Part one examined how new therapies are driving earlier detection and clinician education engagement. Together, these analyses provide crucial insights into the real-world impact of medical breakthroughs, as well as areas that still require significant work. Read part one here.
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