Why is Lecanemab not recommended in Sweden? - An overview with Professor and senior consultant physician Silke Kern
June 12, 2026
Alzheimer’s disease begins long before symptoms become noticeable. For many years, healthcare has mainly been able to offer support and symptom relief. In recent years, however, research has made important progress. For the first time, there are now drugs that target the underlying disease process.
This text comments on the latest decision regarding the drug Lecanemab and is based on an interview with Professor and senior consultant physician Silke Kern, University of Gothenburg and Sahlgrenska University Hospital.
What does Lecanemab do?
In Alzheimer’s disease, two central changes occur in the brain:
- Beta‑amyloid begins to clump together and form amyloid plaques.
- Tau protein changes inside nerve cells and affects their function.
These processes drive the disease forward and lead to worsening memory, thinking, and daily functioning.
Lecanemab is an antibody treatment that removes beta-amyloid, the underlying change in Alzheimer’s disease. It slows disease progression by approximately 30%. Silke Kern describes this as a significant advance, for the first time there are drugs that both slow the disease and affect the biological changes that characterize Alzheimer’s disease.
Approved in the EU but not recommended in Sweden
Lecanemab received EU approval in April 2025. It is intended for adults with:
- mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease,
- confirmed amyloid pathology,
- and certain genetic characteristics (e.g. non-carriers or heterozygotes of APOE ε4).
I Sverige är det NT‑rådet (Rådet för nya terapier) som ger rekommendationer till regionerna om användning av nya läkemedel. Den 17 april 2026 beslutade NT‑rådet att inte rekommendera regionerna att erbjuda Lecanemab.
Varför blev det ett nej till lecanemab från NT-rådet?
The decision of the NT Council is primarily based on health economic assessments, but the NT Council’s documentation regarding the price is confidential, which limits transparency.
Silke Kern highlights that the effect of Lecanemab is clear in the studies that form the basis for EU approval, and that the treatment is intended for a limited patient group. She believes that Sweden has good conditions to introduce the treatment in a controlled manner, but also emphasizes that decisions on implementation are complex and require balancing medical, organizational, and economic factors.
What happens next?
According to Silke Kern, researchers and clinicians in Sweden continue to:
- monitor the development of disease-modifying treatments,
- contribute scientific evidence,
- and engage in discussions on how Lecanemab and similar new treatments can be implemented in a sustainable way.
She describes this as the beginning of a new era in Alzheimer’s treatment and emphasizes that it is extremely important for Sweden to continue to be actively involved in international developments.