Alzheimer’s program renewal on the way, lawmakers say

Key Facts

• In an interview at the “How Fast Can We Solve Alzheimer’s” POLITICO live event Wednesday evening, Kaine said the Senate HELP Committee members are looking to combine their two bipartisan priorities from recent months — reforming pharmacy benefit manager operations and boosting the health workforce — into one health package.
• In that larger package, he said, there would be room for other health policies, including a reauthorization of the BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Act, which bolstered research and care for people with Alzheimer’s disease.
• The bill has been reintroduced in the House, and Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.), who also spoke at the event, said there’s a sense of urgency to get it — and other big programs — reauthorized.
• The maker of Aduhelm, a controversial Alzheimer’s treatment that offered hope to some patients, announced Wednesday it would stop making the drug after an internal review of its research and development efforts — and after CMS said it would limit coverage of the drug.

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