We just got the first new Alzheimer's drug in nearly 2 decades

Hello,

Welcome to Insider Healthcare. I'm Lydia Ramsey Pflanzer, and today in healthcare news:

• On Monday, the FDA approved the first new Alzheimer's drug in nearly two decades;
• Primary care company One Medical wants to tap into senior care by acquiring competitor Iora Health;
• We looked into an old Medicare policy that could get in the way of patients accessing the newly approved Alzheimer's drug.

If you're new to this newsletter, sign up here. Comments, tips? Email me at lramsey@insider.com or tweet @lydiaramsey125. Let's get to it...

The FDA just approved the first new Alzheimer's drug in 18 years

• The FDA on Monday approved the first new Alzheimer's disease treatment in nearly two decades.
• Biogen had initially deemed the drug a failure and shut down two late-stage trials.
• Experts were divided on the drug. One analyst had estimated a 15% chance the FDA would approve it.

Here's what you need to know>>

One Medical is making a $2.1 billion bet on a rival that upended medical care for seniors

• Primary care company One Medical plans to acquire competitor Iora Health in a $2.1 billion deal.
• The deal would set One Medical up to expand beyond the commercially insured market into caring for seniors 65 and up.
• It's the latest example of primary care companies chasing seniors.

Get the full story>>

An old Medicare policy could stand in the way of millions of Alzheimer's patients looking to get the first approved treatment in nearly 2 decades

• The FDA just approved a new Alzheimer's disease drug that targets a plaque that builds up in some patients' brains.
• Doctors will likely need to perform a scan to see if patients are eligible for the drug.
• Medicare, which insures more than 5 million people with Alzheimer's, doesn't cover the scan.

Find out more>>

More stories we're reading:

• US officials may have avoided the coronavirus lab-leak theory to avoid associations with controversial gain-of-function research (Insider)
• Vaccination rates are falling, and that's putting Biden's goal of getting 70% of the US vaccinated by July 4 in jeopardy (Washington Post)
• People who've had COVID-19 vaccines should get a state-issued 'driver's license' to party, top bioethicist says (Insider)
• Biogen's newly approved Alzheimer's drug might be the most lucrative medicine in history (Stat News)

- Lydia