Canada’s drug agency issues final positive recommendation for public reimbursement of Leqembi
Canada’s Drug Agency (CDA-AMC) has issued a final recommendation supporting public reimbursement of Leqembi (lecanemab) for eligible Canadian patients with mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease, BioArctic’s partner Eisai announced. The Swedish biotech invented the antibody and holds commercialisation rights to it in the Nordic region.
September 1, 2026
The final recommendation follows a reconsideration by CDA-AMC and marks a step toward broader access to Leqembi in Canada. Next up are negotiations through the pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance, followed by individual reimbursement decisions from public drug plans across Canada’s provinces and territories.
More than 770,000 people in Canada were estimated to be living with dementia in 2025, a figure projected to rise to 1.7 million by 2050, according to the Alzheimer Society of Canada.
Leqembi, a monoclonal antibody targeting aggregated forms of amyloid-beta, is the product of BioArctic’s long-running research alliance with Eisai, dating back to 2005. Eisai leads clinical development, regulatory interactions and global commercialisation, while BioArctic holds the rights to commercialise the drug in the Nordics and is preparing to do so together with Eisai; BioArctic carries no development costs for the Alzheimer’s programme and is entitled to sales milestones and royalties on global sales. Leqembi is now approved in 53 countries and under regulatory review in six more.
Published: September 1, 2026
