knowledge

LONDON — Starting Sunday, Alzheimer’s specialists will gather for a major conference in Amsterdam, convening at a time when the field, depending on which expert you ask, has some rare momentum behind it, with new therapies starting to show benefits for patients.

But despite the hard-won victories, the arrival of the new therapies presents a new set of challenges in Europe as countries plan for their possible rollouts, scientists and doctors told STAT.

advertisement

Health systems will have to adapt to diagnose people earlier and monitor them for side effects associated with the treatments. If their medicines win European approval, companies will have to strike reimbursement deals in all member states, a process that often leaves some countries waiting years for new drugs to become available. The hurdles mean the therapies will likely be offered only at certain centers initially, constraining how many patients have access to them, doctors from across Europe said.

Unlock this article by subscribing to STAT+ and enjoy your first 30 days free!