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Real-world lecanemab adoption in Japan 1 year after launch: Insights from 311 specialists on infrastructure and reimbursement barriers
Sato Kenichiro, Niimi Yoshiki, Ihara Ryoko, Iwata Atsushi, Nemoto Kiyotaka, Arai Tetsuaki, Higashi Shinji, Igarashi Ataru et al.. Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association, 2025-10-20
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Lecanemab was approved for early Alzheimer's disease in Japan, with ≈ 6000 patients treated in the first year post approval. This study explores real-world practices, challenges, and potential solutions. We conducted an anonymized online survey of clinical specialists authorized to prescribe lecanemab, obtaining responses from 311 specialists who collectively treated 3259 patients with lecanemab. A majority of respondents (79%) reported wait times of ≤ 3 months from first consultation to initial infusion. One fourth reported tight outpatient space and staffing and significantly lower capacity of treatment than anticipated. Safety concerns were limited, with amyloid imaging-related abnormality-related interruptions in 3.5%. More than half highly supported additional reimbursement for infusion-related services and insurance coverage for apolipoprotein E (APOE) testing. Early access to lecanemab appears feasible, yet infrastructure and financial hurdles remain. Dedicated reimbursement and insurance coverage for APOE testing may be essential for ensuring safer, more accessible, and sustainable use of this therapy in Japan. Results from an online survey of 311 Japanese specialists prescribing lecanemab in its first year are reported. Majority of wait times from first consultation to initial infusion were 1 to 3 months. Tight affordability of infusion space and staffing was reported by one quarter. Establishing additional medical fee for infusion management was highly expected. Reimbursement of apolipoprotein E test in Japanese health insurance system was also demanded.
Key findings
- One fourth reported tight outpatient space and staffing and significantly lower capacity of treatment than anticipated.
- Results from an online survey of 311 Japanese specialists prescribing lecanemab in its first year are reported.
Why it matters
This survey of 311 Japanese specialists found that early access to lecanemab appears feasible but infrastructure and financial hurdles remain, with one fourth reporting tight outpatient space and staffing. It addresses real-world adoption and reimbursement, not whether the therapy cures or prevents Alzheimer's disease.
Study details
- Participants6,000
- Effect size3.5%
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 56/100
Published in a leading specialty journal. Scored zero for study design and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 9 / 10 | Tier 2 — leading specialty journal (Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | Alzheimer s & Dementia: journal h-index 228 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 4 / 5 | 2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 3 / 4 | 6,000 participants |
| Effect reported | 2 / 3 | Effect reported as a number, without an interval or test |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 3 / 7 | Cited 16 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 2 / 5 | 5.3 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 8.8× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 1 / 6 | Cited by 2 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 16 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 4 / 4 | Last-listed author Takeshi Iwatsubo: h-index 115 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | The University of Tokyo: institution h-index 1,463 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 3 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 11 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 41114448) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 56 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
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Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Kenichiro, S., Yoshiki, N., Ryoko, I., Atsushi, I., Kiyotaka, N., Tetsuaki, A., et al. (2025). Real-world lecanemab adoption in Japan 1 year after launch: Insights from 311 specialists on infrastructure and reimbursement barriers. Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association. https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.70652
Vancouver
Kenichiro S, Yoshiki N, Ryoko I, Atsushi I, Kiyotaka N, Tetsuaki A, et al. Real-world lecanemab adoption in Japan 1 year after launch: Insights from 311 specialists on infrastructure and reimbursement barriers. Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association. 2025. doi:10.1002/alz.70652. PMID: 41114448.
BibTeX
@article{kenichiro2025-41114448,
author = {Kenichiro, Sato and Yoshiki, Niimi and Ryoko, Ihara and Atsushi, Iwata and Kiyotaka, Nemoto and Tetsuaki, Arai and Shinji, Higashi and Ataru, Igarashi and others},
title = {{Real-world lecanemab adoption in Japan 1 year after launch: Insights from 311 specialists on infrastructure and reimbursement barriers}},
journal = {Alzheimer's \& dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1002/alz.70652},
pmid = {41114448},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.70652}
}
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