Biogen Alzheimer’s Drug Coverage Threatens Minorities’ Access

Minority groups could have a harder time accessing Biogen Inc.’s Alzheimer’s drug under Medicare’s preliminary decision to limit coverage to patients enrolled in clinical trials, policy analysts say.

The draft coverage determination aims to allow for additional studies on the effectiveness of Biogen’s Aduhelm, which won FDA approval in June 2021 despite pushback from scientific advisers. But limiting Medicare coverage could be detrimental to Black people, Hispanics, and other groups that are typically underrepresented in drug studies, in part because they may not have easy access to them.

“If we’re going to require or make provisions that certain kinds ...