https://www.cnbc.com/2021/06/08/biogen-faces-tough-questions-over-56k-a-year-price-of-newly-approved-alzheimers-drug.html

I assume that it may be a while (if ever) before this drug is approved in NZ, let alone a decision made on funding. 

From what I've read, there's considerable doubt whether the treatment works at all, it's expensive (US$56,000 per year) and it does have potentially serious side effects.

Yet anybody who's seen a loved one decline from Alzheimer's would probably want to try anything possible to delay what's inevitable - even if there's poor evidence it works and no evidence it's even close to being a "cure". 

 

In the first "EMERGE" trial, an analysis split by dose indicated that high doses reduced rate of decline by 23% versus placebo. A second identical trial "ENGAGE" failed to replicate this, with a non-significant 2% reduction in decline compared to placebo

 

This is going to put a lot of people in a terrible situation - actually worse than if the drug never existed. Sometimes I hate big Pharma - this isn't helping.