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business Thursday 13 January 2022
Biogen tumbles after Medicare lays out Aduhelm coverage plan

By TOM MURPHY early-stage Alzheimer's and
AP Health Writer expect to complete the re-
Shares of Biogen slid search about four years af-
Wednesday, a day after ter the study begins.
federal regulators slapped Aduhelm has been hailed
coverage limitations on the as a promising treatment
drugmaker's new Alzheim- by some researchers be-
er's disease treatment. cause it has the potential
The Centers for Medicare to slow the fatal Alzheim-
and Medicaid Services er's. No drugs on the mar-
said Tuesday after markets ket currently do that.
closed that patients tak- But concerns about the
ing Biogen's Aduhelm will cost and effectiveness
have to also participate in have slowed the drug's de-
clinical trials to assess the but.
drug's effectiveness in or- Biogen CEO Michel Vou-
der for Medicare to cover natsos said on Monday
the cost. that the company now has
That's an important caveat about 220 sites treating pa-
because Medicare is ex- tients with Aduhelm.
pected to cover most of Biogen said in June, shortly
the patients who opt for after the FDA approval,
Aduhelm, and the drug can that about 900 sites in the
cost as much as $28,000 Associated Press U.S. have the equipment
annually, not counting ex- curities USA analyst Salim The U.S. Food and Drug Ad- likely to benefit patients. and expertise to immedi-
penses for brain scans and Syed. He had previously es- ministration had approved But they've asked for an- ately begin giving the drug,
other care patients will timated around $3.5 billion Aduhelm last June and other study. which requires monthly IVs.
need while taking it. to $4 billion in peak annual later said it was appropri- Biogen said last month Shares of Cambridge,
Biogen had cut that cost sales for the drug. ate for patients with mild that it would submit final Massachusetts-based Bio-
down from more than But he said Wednesday he symptoms or early-stage plans for that study to the gen Inc. fell more than 8%,
$50,000 annually last month now assumes less than $100 Alzheimer's. Food and Drug Administra- or nearly $21, to $220.56
after taking months of criti- million. Medicare's national Aduhelm clears brain tion in March. It then plans Wednesday morning while
cism over the expense. coverage determination plaque thought to play a to have the first patient broader indexes rose slight-
The initial Medicare cov- will become final by April role in Alzheimer's disease, screened for the research ly at the start of trading.
erage decision will sig- 11, following a public com- and regulators made their by May. The stock price had soared
nificantly limit access to ment period and further call based on research Researchers will aim to en- past $400 after the FDA de-
Aduhelm, said Mizuho Se- evaluation by the agency. showing the drug seemed roll about 1,300 people with cision in June.q

Edmunds: Shopping for a car this year

will not be the same

By RONALD MONTOYA five ways that car buying ing up vehicles. If you see
Edmunds has changed, along with a one you like, be prepared
2021 was an unusual year few tips on how to manage to move quickly because it
for the automotive industry. it. may not be there the next
While customer demand ONGOING VEHICLE SHORT- time.
for new cars rebounded AGE MEANS HIGHER PRICES YOU'RE MORE LIKELY TO OR- der a vehicle is to use an research before your lease
from the economic uncer- Vehicles that make their DER YOUR NEXT CAR automaker's website to ends to find affordable op-
tainty of 2020, automakers way onto the lot are more One way to avoid the build the vehicle configu- tions, said Drury. You can
found themselves unable likely to be in more ex- markups and dealer add- ration you want and then also consider buying out
to meet that demand be- pensive trims and either ons is to order the vehicle. send that information to your lease, as it will likely be
cause of semiconductor marked up in price or with This ensures that you get your preferred dealership. a better deal since the sell-
chip shortages and supply numerous dealer-installed exactly the color and op- LEASING WILL BE LESS EN- ing price for it was calculat-
chain problems. So what accessories that achieve tions that you want, pro- TICING ed years before the market
should car shoppers ex- the same effect. And if that vided you're willing to wait Edmunds analysts say took a turn.
pect for 2022? Much of the wasn't enough to contend roughly six to eight weeks. that leasing is becoming USED VEHICLES MAY NOT
same, unfortunately. with, you'll find that dealer- The basic idea is that or- less popular for a couple OFFER RELIEF
"Competition for new ve- ships are much less likely to dering a vehicle saves of reasons. As inventories Many new-vehicle shop-
hicles will be fierce as in- come down on price since the dealership on lot fees remain low and the cars pers turned to the used
ventory shortages persist in they know there aren't and insurance for vehicles that are in stock tend to market for a better selec-
2022," said Ivan Drury, Ed- many other options avail- parked on- or off-site, and be more loaded with op- tion or respite from the
munds' senior manager of able. It's a textbook case of it can then pass the savings tions, they're less likely to be higher new car prices. But
insights for Edmunds. supply and demand. on to the consumer. The targeted by automakers' this, in turn, caused its own
Shoppers today must con- These days, paying MSRP "savings" these days is pay- leasing programs because shortage and record-high
tend with a limited selec- might actually be a "good ing MSRP and not being these vehicles typically prices. Edmunds analysts
tion, dealership markups, deal," relatively speaking. charged for dealer add- suffer higher depreciation predict that in the coming
little to no discounts, and Tip: We recommend cast- ons or the convenience than their mid- to lower-lev- year, the average used ve-
a greater sense of urgency ing your net out farther to of having a vehicle right el trim counterparts. hicle price will surpass the
to move quickly on a deal. increase your options. Not away. Tip: You might need to do $30,000 mark for the first
With this in mind, here are every dealership is mark- Tip: The easiest way to or- some extra planning and time. q