Alzheimers Dement

Combined dementia care model boosts value of lecanemab in early Alzheimer’s

February 6, 2026

In a modeling study of adults aged 71 years, collaborative dementia care, lecanemab for 18 months, or both were compared with usual care. Collaborative care increased quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) by 0.26 per person while saving ~$48,000, making it a dominant strategy. Adding lecanemab to collaborative care yielded an additional 0.16 QALYs at ~$218,000 to $248,000 per QALY. At the population level, lecanemab generated ~180,000 QALYs at a cost of $39.5 billion, whereas collaborative care produced ~1.5 million QALYs and saved $300 billion. Results were robust across assumptions.

Clinical takeaway: Clinicians should anticipate higher value—and better patient outcomes—when disease‑modifying therapy is embedded within structured, team‑based dementia care rather than delivered in isolation.

Source:

Atkins K, et al. (2026, February 5). Alzheimers Dement. Cost-effectiveness and impact at scale of collaborative care and lecanemab for Alzheimer's disease. https://alz-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/bsa3.70054