Far Eastern Memorial Hospital and Easeful Clinic had originally scheduled to administer the new Alzheimer’s drug Kisunla on June 18, but due to flight delays, the medication finally arrived in Taiwan on June 19 and cleared customs smoothly. The first dose in Taiwan is expected to be administered on the morning of June 23. Given that a one-year course of treatment costs over one million NTD, the National Health Insurance Administration (NHIA) plans to discuss by the end of the year whether to include it under coverage. Minister of Health and Welfare Tai-Yuan Chiu stated that the decision will first undergo a formal Health Technology Assessment (HTA) to ensure rational resource allocation.

Chiu noted that dementia is a topic of national concern, and the approval of a new drug that can slow disease progression marks a major breakthrough in treatment. However, before the drug can be covered by the NHI system, it must go through the HTA process, which evaluates factors such as clinical efficacy, cost-effectiveness, budgetary impact, and medical ethics. Since the drug is only now being administered, he emphasized the need for more stable and accumulated real-world experience, indicating that there is still an observation period ahead.

He added that the HTA will comprehensively assess the use of the new Alzheimer’s drug in the healthcare market, and a decision on whether to include it under national insurance will be made by year-end. Chiu also emphasized that dementia care must be holistic and cannot rely solely on post-onset pharmaceutical treatment. Early prevention and early detection are critical, and the government has been actively promoting daytime care centers and community-based support services. He called on the public to work together to support these efforts.

Resource: 失智症新藥年底擬納健保？ 部長邱泰源：先經HTA專業評估程序