Donanemab in Switzerland: How to get the new Alzheimer's medicine now

After 20 years without a new approved treatment for Alzheimer's disease, three new medicines have become available within the last 4 years - Aduhelm, Leqembi (lecanemab), and Kisunla (donanemab).

Availability, however, is a complex concept. Currently, the newest Alzheimer's medicines are only available in a few countries around the world. While lecanemab is hopefully going to be approved in Switzerland soon, donanemab's approval timeline is less clear.

When will Kisunla (donanemab) be available to Swiss patients, and can you get it sooner? Spoiler alert: you can.

In which countries is donanemab approved?

As of January 2025, Kisunla (donanemab) is approved in:

• United States
• Japan
• UK
• China.

The medicine is under review by the EMA, with no decision timeline available yet.

Is Kisunla (donanemab) approved in Switzerland?

Not as of January 2025. Swissmedic is reviewing the medicine, but has not made  a decision yet. There is also no timeline available for donanemab's approval in Switzerland.

Who is eligible for donanemab?

Kisunla (donanemab) is only applicable for patients in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. Additionally, since it's a new medicine, patients need to meet the same inclusion criteria that were used in the clinical trial preceding Kisunla's approval. This means that to qualify for a treatment you need to:

• be between 60 and 85 years of age;
• show a gradual and progressive change in memory function over a period of 6 months or longer;
• score between 20 and 28 on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE);
• meet the criteria for a 18F-florbetapir PET scan. 

Find out more about who is eligible for Kisunla.

How can I get donanemab in Switzerland before it's approved?

Donanemab is a time-sensitive medicine. It's only applicable in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease. That's why waiting for months or years until it's approved in Switzerland may mean you'll no longer be eligible for treatment.

Fortunately, you don't have to wait until Kisunla (donanemab) is available in Switzerland. Thanks to a regulation known as Named Patient Import, you can buy the medicine for personal use right away, before it's approved by Swissmedic. The only thing you need to have is a prescription from your treating doctor.

The upside of this option is that you can start your treatment right away. The downside is that you'd have to cover the medicine costs yourself.

How much does Kisunla (donanemab) cost in Switzerland?

When a medicine is not yet on the local market, the price may be difficult to determine. It may vary depending on the supplier, the medicine availability, as well as import and transportation costs.

However, as an orientation, a single-dose vial (350 mg/20 mL) currently costs around CHF 1630. The typical administration frequency is once every four weeks, meaning that your monthly treatment costs would be around CHF 1630.

If you have a prescription for donanemab and you're interested in starting your treatment immediately, get in touch with our expert team for a detailed price overview. We'll help you get donanemab in Switzerland immediately.

References:

1. Participation criteria. A Study of Donanemab (LY3002813) in Participants With Early Alzheimer's Disease (TRAILBLAZER-ALZ 2). ClinicalTrials.gov, Accessed 09 January 2025.