Advocacy group's advisory board members defect over biogen alzheimer's drug

The furious debate over Biogen’s Alzheimer’s treatment has now sparked controversy at the Alliance for Aging Research, an advocacy group that has seen half of its scientific advisory board

members resign after learning the organization had lobbied against a Medicare proposal to restrict coverage of the medication. The resignations by nine of 17 board members followed a rally

the organization held last month in front of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services offices to protest a preliminary decision concerning the Alzheimer’s treatment. The advocacy

group is upset that the agency proposed paying only for patients enrolled in clinical trials, a decision CMS confirmed in its final ruling Thursday “I join many Alzheimer researchers, in

caution, to expand use of Aduhelm before any benefits are shown clinically significant and hazards of bleeding are resolved,” Caleb Finch, a professor of neurogerontology at the University

of Southern California, wrote us in response to questions about his resignation. Finch added that he had not had direct contact with the organization for several years. STAT+ Exclusive Story

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