Eli Lilly's Kisunla Treatment Approved in China

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) announced on Tuesday evening that China’s food and drug regulator has approved its Kisunla treatment for early symptomatic Alzheimer's disease, marking the fourth major market to approve this treatment.

The National Medical Products Administration in China approved Kisunla after earlier approvals in the U.S., Japan, and the UK this year. Kisunla, known as donanemab, received approval from the U.S. FDA in July.

Alzheimer’s Treatment Comparison

Donanemab is the second significant treatment for Alzheimer’s, following Eisai Co., Ltd. (TYO:4523) and Biogen Inc's (NASDAQ:BIIB) Leqembi, which was approved in 2023. Both treatments aim at clearing beta amyloid, an Alzheimer’s-related protein, from the brain.

A key distinction between Donanemab and Leqembi is that Donanemab allows for finite dosing, meaning treatment can be halted once the amyloid plaques are eliminated from the brain. In the U.S., Donanemab costs approximately $32,000 for 12 months, while Leqembi is priced at $26,500.