Alzheimer drug trials in Hainan

Leqembi, a novel treatment for Alzheimer's disease, officially passed review by the Hainan Medical Products Administration, and was approved to be used in Hainan Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone at the end of September.

Each bottle of the drug costs 3328.2 yuan ($456) in Lecheng. It is developed by Eisai, a pharmaceutical company headquartered in Japan, in partnership with Biogen, a biotechnology company in the US.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the US granted full approval to Leqembi, which has been shown to moderately slow cognitive and functional decline in early-stage cases of the disease, on July 6. It was the first new Alzheimer's drug to receive FDA's approval in 20 years.

With the approval to be applied in Lecheng, Leqembi can be bought by patients whether they have Hainan household registration or not, but the drug can only be used in the zone and cannot be taken out.

In December 2022, Leqembi applied for listing in China and it is expected to be approved as early as in the first half of 2024.

Eisai announced on Sept 25 that an intravenous injection of Leqembi for Alzheimer's has already been approved in Japan.

Established in 2013 with the approval of the State Council, China's cabinet, Hainan Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone is the first and currently the only special medical zone in China. It is able to make use of medical devices and drugs licensed abroad but not yet in China, providing domestic and international patients with advanced international-standard diagnosis and treatment.