Does new Alzheimer's drug work? Answers may miss 2030 target

Surprise over the approval of a controversial new Alzheimer’s drug has turned to shock that it might take nine years to find out if it really works

WASHINGTON -- When a controversial Alzheimer’s drug won U.S. approval, surprise over the decision quickly turned to shock at how long it might take to find out if it really works — nine years. Drugmaker Biogen has until 2030 to complete a study confirming whether its new drug Aduhelm truly slows the brain-destroying disease. That's under the terms of the Food and Drug Administration's conditional approva l of the drug, a decision that has been praised by patients as overdue and condemned by the agency's own outside experts. But both camps agree: 2030 is far too long to wait for answers on the $56,000-a-year drug. “We think nine years is unacceptable and our expectation is that it will happen in a much shorter time frame,” said Maria Carrillo of the Alzheimer’s Association, an advocacy group that pushed for approval but now wants the FDA to set a quicker deadline.