Frequently Asked
Questions

Common symptoms can include problems with memory, language, and thinking. However, there may be other symptoms beyond forgetfulness, such as behavioral or mood changes, that close friends and family may notice. This is not a complete list of symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. Only a healthcare provider can diagnose Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's disease is a brain condition that gets worse over time. It may be caused by a protein called amyloid continuously building up in your brain, forming harmful amyloid brain plaque. Though there are different types of amyloid proteins, all of them can damage brain cells.

Sometimes. Alzheimer's disease does have a genetic component, but it does not mean the disease is guaranteed to pass down through families.

There is no proven way to prevent Alzheimer's disease. If you or your loved one are seeing signs of early Alzheimer's disease, talk to a healthcare provider about lifestyle changes that could help.

Forgetfulness can be a normal part of aging, like misplacing items or forgetting to pay a bill. Alzheimer's disease causes more noticeable differences and impacts a person's daily life. People with Alzheimer's disease may have problems keeping track of days or the time of year, or struggle to have a conversation. This is not a complete list of symptoms of early Alzheimer's disease. Only a healthcare provider can diagnose early Alzheimer's disease.

There is currently no cure for Alzheimer's disease. Even though Alzheimer's disease progression can't be stopped, LEQEMBI was proven to significantly slow its progression.*

Yes, there are cases where signs of Alzheimer's disease begin to show up earlier than age 65, but this type of Alzheimer's disease is less common. This is referred to as early-onset Alzheimer's disease.

If you or your loved one is experiencing memory and thinking problems, it’s important to talk with your healthcare provider. They may review your medical history or run a few tests or exams to determine what’s causing your symptoms. Only a healthcare provider can diagnose early Alzheimer's disease.

There are 3 main stages of Alzheimer’s disease: early, middle, and late. Recognizing which stage the disease is in is important, because LEQEMBI is for people in the early stage of Alzheimer’s disease, which includes mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and mild Alzheimer’s dementia. Alzheimer’s disease often starts as MCI and progresses.

Your healthcare provider will perform tests to confirm your specific diagnosis.

Your healthcare provider may perform a cognitive or neurological exam, order lab tests, or have you take an MRI to evaluate your brain health. These can help determine if your symptoms are due to early Alzheimer’s disease.

Alzheimer’s disease is a brain condition that gets worse over time. It may happen when a protein called amyloid continuously builds up in your brain, forming harmful amyloid brain plaque.

Only LEQEMBI fights early Alzheimer’s disease in 2 ways. It rapidly clears amyloid brain plaque, and keeps working to clear harmful amyloid proteins.

Once you start LEQEMBI, it can get to work by fighting the buildup of amyloid proteins. People taking LEQEMBI were shown to have less amyloid brain plaque as early as 3 months.

Over time, it can build up and make it difficult to do things like think, remember, and problem-solve.

LEQEMBI was proven to significantly slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease in an 18-month study. Progression was measured using a Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) scale by asking people how Alzheimer’s disease impacted different abilities, including remembering, completing daily tasks, staying active, problem-solving, knowing your way around, and doing activities independently.

The study included 1,795 men and women, ages 50 to 90, from different ethnic and racial backgrounds. They had either mild cognitivie impairment (MCI) or mild dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease.

LEQEMBI may be right for you if you are in the early stage of Alzheimer’s disease, known as mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and mild dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease—when symptoms are still manageable without too much daily support.

Your healthcare provider will decide which tests are needed to check for amyloid brain plaque, such as a blood-based biomarker (BBM) test, amyloid positron emission tomography (PET) scan, or a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) test.

In an 18-month study of people with early Alzheimer’s disease, LEQEMBI was proven to significantly slow the progression of early Alzheimer's disease. Even though you cannot stop Alzheimer’s disease from getting worse, you can take steps to slow how fast it progresses.

LEQEMBI is the only anti-amyloid treatment that offers 2 treatment options: self-injections with LEQEMBI IQLIK or IV infusions.

Learn about LEQEMBI IQLIK self-injections.

Learn about infusions with LEQEMBI.

Some of the possible side effects of LEQEMBI include ARIA (Amyloid-Related Imaging Abnormalities), serious allergic reactions, infusion-related reactions, injection-related reactions, and/or headaches. 

ARIA is a potential serious side effect of treatments like LEQEMBI and can be fatal. ARIA commonly shows up as temporary swelling or bleeding in the brain, and can only be seen with MRI monitoring.

Most of the time, ARIA does not cause any symptoms, though serious symptoms can occur and can be fatal.

It’s important to know that all anti-amyloid treatments for Alzheimer’s disease include MRI monitoring. LEQEMBI can cause serious side effects, including one called ARIA (Amyloid-Related Imaging Abnormalities). ARIA commonly shows up as temporary swelling or bleeding in the brain, and can only be seen with MRI monitoring.

Most of the time, ARIA does not cause any symptoms, though serious symptoms can occur and can be fatal.

That’s why you will receive an MRI before treatment and 4 MRIs after you start treatment—to help your healthcare provider spot any changes early and make decisions to keep you safe.

Your exact MRI schedule will be determined by your healthcare provider and may include additional MRIs.

Most people with ARIA don't have any symptoms. However, some people may notice: headache, confusion, dizziness, vision changes, nausea, difficulty walking, seizures, difficulty speaking, or muscle weakness.

LEQEMBI IQLIK contains the same medicine as the LEQEMBI infusion, with comparable results and safety.

The LEQEMBI IQLIK autoinjector is designed to deliver a pre-measured dose of LEQEMBI just under the skin (a subcutaneous injection) without requiring a syringe.

There are 2 different doses of LEQEMBI IQLIK, depending on how and when you start treatment. Your healthcare provider will confirm your dose.

During your first 18 months of treatment, you will inject two 250-mg autoinjectors, once a week (once every 7 days).

After treating with LEQEMBI for 18 months, you may have the option of starting maintenance treatment. However, you and your healthcare provider may decide to continue your current treatment plan, even after 18 months. Talk to your healthcare provider to determine the plan that's best for you.

If you are beginning maintenance treatment with LEQEMBI IQLIK, your dose is one 360-mg autoinjector, once weekly (every 7 days).

LEQEMBI IQLIK can be injected into the front of the thighs, stomach area (abdomen), or back of the upper arms with the help of a healthcare provider or a care partner.

Do not inject within 1 inch of last week's injection site. Do not inject into moles, scars, bruises, or tattoos, or into areas where the skin is red, hard, tender, or injured.

If your dose includes 2 autoinjectors, use the second autoinjector immediately after the first to complete your full prescribed dose. Use a different injection site at least 1 inch away from the last site each time you use LEQEMBI IQLIK.

Use the injection tracker in the What To Expect Treatment Tracker to take note of your injections and where you’ve injected, so you can stay on top of your at-home injection schedule.

Do not inject within 2 inches of your belly button. Do not inject within 1 inch of last week's injection site. Do not inject into moles, scars, bruises, or tattoos, or into areas where the skin is red, hard, tender, or injured.

If your dose includes 2 autoinjectors, use the second autoinjector immediately after the first to complete your full prescribed dose. Use a different injection site at least 1 inch away from the last site each time you use LEQEMBI IQLIK.

Do not replace or put the clear cap back on once it has been removed from the autoinjector. Doing so may damage the device, cause the medication to be released by mistake, or result in a needle injury.

Alcohol prep pads are small, single-use pads saturated with isopropyl alcohol. They are designed specifically to clean and disinfect the skin before injections or minor medical procedures. They are not the same as general disinfection wipes, which may contain different chemicals, fragrances, or additives and are not intended for use on skin before injections.

Yes, it is normal to see air bubbles in the medication inside your autoinjector.

Be sure to inspect the medication inside your autoinjector for particles or discoloration before injecting. The medication inside should be a clear and colorless to pale yellow solution, and free of visible particles. Do not use if the medicine looks cloudy, discolored, or contains particles.

You may notice a small drop of blood on the area you injected in. This is normal, and you can gently press a cotton ball or gauze to the area, or put an adhesive bandage over it. Talk to your healthcare provider if you have any questions about side effects with LEQEMBI IQLIK.

Throughout the injection process, you may hear 2 clicks. The second click is a sign that the injection is complete. Make sure you don’t lift the autoinjector too early—keep holding the autoinjector in place for at least 5 more seconds after the injection is complete.

If your dose includes 2 autoinjectors, use the second autoinjector immediately after the first to complete your full prescribed dose. Use a different injection site at least 1 inch away from the last site each time you use LEQEMBI IQLIK.

Everybody has a different pain tolerance and some areas may be more comfortable than others. If you find that 1 of the 3 injection locations is less painful than another, you can inject in the same location as long as it is within 1 inch of your last injection location. Remember, you can only inject into the front of the thighs, stomach area, or the back of the upper arms (with the help of a healthcare provider or care partner).

LEQEMBI IQLIK contains the same medicine as the LEQEMBI infusion, with comparable results and safety.

Your specialty pharmacy may provide you with an FDA-approved sharps disposal container. You may also use a household container that is made of heavy-duty plastic and can be closed with a tight-fitting, puncture-resistant lid that's upright, leak-resistant, and properly labeled to warn of hazardous waste.

Do not throw your sharps container into a regular trash bin. Follow your community guidelines for the right way to throw away your sharps container. There may be state or local laws about how you should throw away used needles and syringes. For more information about safe sharps disposal, and for specific information about sharps disposal in your state, visit FDA.gov/SafeSharpsDisposal, call Safe Needle Disposal at 1-800-643-1643, or email info@safeneedledisposal.org.

Travel-size sharps containers are available for purchase at commercial retailers. Small laundry detergent bottles, water or soda bottles, and other plastic food jars may be used if the plastic is thick enough to be puncture-resistant and it has a tight-fitting lid.

If you have concerns about self-injections, you may be able to switch back to IV infusions. Talk to your healthcare provider. They can help make sure you receive LEQEMBI in the way that works best for you.

Since LEQEMBI IQLIK needs to stay refrigerated, it will be delivered through a specialty pharmacy. The number of autoinjectors in each shipment will be determined by your healthcare provider and/or your specialty pharmacy.

Your specialty pharmacy should contact you to coordinate your next shipment of LEQEMBI IQLIK. If your specialty pharmacy has not yet reached out and you only have 2 doses left, please contact them to avoid missing a dose.

If your shipment of LEQEMBI IQLIK doesn’t arrive by the expected date, reach out to your specialty pharmacy as soon as possible.

If the carton or the autoinjectors are damaged, missing doses, or expired, call 1-888-274-2378 or email esi_medinfo@eisai.com.

If you miss a scheduled injection, inject both autoinjectors as soon as you are able. You can still inject up to 6 days after the missed dose. Then take your next dose on your usual scheduled day. After that, you can continue with your normal dosing schedule. Visit LEQEMBI.com/HowToInject for an overview of the injection process.

You can download the LEQEMBI Companion app to help you stay on track with your injection schedule, get reminders, and get personalized content.

The LEQEMBI Companion app is your digital partner designed to help support you at every step of your treatment.

Use the app to start treatment and stay on track. It makes it easy to log your injections, set reminders, stay on top of your schedule, and more. Talk to your healthcare provider if you have any questions about your treatment plan.

As with any medicine, there’s a possibility that LEQEMBI could interact with something else you are taking. Tell your healthcare provider about all of the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Especially tell your healthcare provider if you take medicines to reduce blood clots from forming (antithrombotic medicines, including aspirin). 

Yes, you can take LEQEMBI IQLIK with you on the go. Before you leave on a trip, always check the autoinjector to make sure it hasn’t expired. You should also consider getting a small sharps disposal container to bring with you.

Reach out to your specialty pharmacy in advance before your trip to let them know your schedule and make sure you have enough autoinjectors. They can help you arrange shipping to your destination, if necessary.

You should store your cartons in a refrigerator between 36 ºF to 46 ºF (2 ºC to 8 ºC). Do not freeze. Keep in the original carton until ready to use to protect it from light. When you are ready to inject, take 1 carton out of the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. Do not shake. Do not try to speed up the warming process in any way.

It’s a good idea to reach out to your healthcare provider with any questions you have about using LEQEMBI IQLIK. There are also resources available to help you learn how to inject and stay on track with treatment, including step-by-step instructions.

If you started treatment with LEQEMBI IV infusions, you can switch to self-injections when you want to if your healthcare provider determines it’s a good option for you.

Once your healthcare provider prescribes LEQEMBI IQLIK, you will likely receive a demo kit that contains an autoinjector without medication or needle so you can practice injecting.

The kit may be mailed to you by your specialty pharmacy or given to you by your healthcare provider. The kit is a helpful way to get familiar with injecting, but it is not needed to safely use LEQEMBI IQLIK.

LEQEMBI is available as an intravenous (IV) infusion. This means a needle is placed in a vein in your arm to give the medicine. Initially, infusions are given twice monthly (once every 2 weeks).

Infusions will be given at a healthcare provider’s office or an infusion center. Talk to your healthcare provider and insurance provider about where to get your infusions, or find a center.

You can use the LEQEMBI infusion center locator to find a center near you.

Each infusion takes about 1 hour. You will likely be at the infusion center for longer than that, especially for your first infusion, so set aside extra time so you don't feel rushed.

If you miss an infusion of LEQEMBI, you should receive your next dose as soon as possible.

The LEQEMBI Companion app is a support tool designed to help you start and stay on track with your treatment. You can access a variety of features to use at every stage of your LEQEMBI treatment.

Your infusions keep LEQEMBI working in your body. Plus, these visits give your care team opportunities to check in on you. Let them know right away if anything comes up.

After 18 months of treatment, you may switch to maintenance infusions once monthly (once every 4 weeks) or at-home injections once weekly (once every 7 days). Alternatively, you may continue on your twice-monthly (once every 2 weeks) infusion schedule if you and your healthcare provider determine that’s the best plan for you.

After 18 months of treatment, talk to your healthcare provider about how you are doing on LEQEMBI and when might be the right time to reevaluate your treatment schedule. This could mean less frequent infusions or switching to at-home injections.

Each option keeps LEQEMBI working in your body and fighting Alzheimer’s disease. Everyone’s treatment experience may look a little different. Talk to your healthcare provider if you have any more questions about LEQEMBI.

The right maintenance option can depend on factors like your experience with self-injections with LEQEMBI IQLIK or with getting IV infusions. Your healthcare provider will help you choose the best option to keep LEQEMBI working in your body.

Doing things like coordinating appointments, helping keep track of injections, packing a treatment or infusion bag, and sharing your phone number with healthcare providers are all ways you can support your loved one as they adjust to LEQEMBI.

There are plenty of ways to help your loved one with their daily activities. Reminding them of their appointments, helping keep track of injections, setting up autopay for recurring bills, and prefilling a medication organizer are just a few.

Joining local support groups and building a support network are great ways to help both yourself and your loved one.

Start by asking your healthcare provider to enroll you in the LEQEMBI Companion program. It can help identify potential financial support programs that you may be eligible for.

What you’ll pay for LEQEMBI depends on a number of different factors, like your prescription insurance, out-of-pocket costs, and your specific dose. Learn more about costs here.

People who are enrolled in the LEQEMBI Companion program can get help with understanding insurance coverage and potential out-of-pocket costs for LEQEMBI.

The LEQEMBI Companion program can help you with information about accessing treatment, understanding insurance coverage and potential out-of-pocket costs, and identifying financial support programs you may be eligible for.

As a part of the LEQEMBI Companion program, you can get resources to help you understand insurance coverage and financial assistance eligibility.

Medicare coverage typically depends on eligibility requirements and coverage guidelines that vary by plan and individual situation.

The LEQEMBI Companion program can help you understand insurance coverage, identify financial support, and more.

The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan is a payment option that works with your current drug coverage to help you manage your out-of-pocket costs for drugs covered by your plan by spreading them across the calendar year (January–December). Anyone with a Medicare drug plan or Medicare health plan with drug coverage (like a Medicare Advantage Plan with drug coverage) can use this payment option. All plans offer this payment option, and participation is voluntary.