Attitudes of specialist memory-clinic patients with early symptomatic Alzheimer's disease towards lecanemab: results from a multicenter survey in Europe.

Authors

Jonathan Vöglein, Johannes Levin, Elisabeth Stögmann, Christian Haass, Günter U Höglinger, Lutz Frölich, Frank Jessen

Published in

Scientific reports. Volume 16. Issue 1. Jul 09, 2026. Epub Jul 09, 2026.

Abstract

Lecanemab approval in the European Union (EU) was granted after a delay. This delay resulted in concerns from many stakeholders, but attitudes of patients with early symptomatic Alzheimer's disease receiving specialist memory-clinic care remained insufficiently assessed. Therefore, we evaluated attitudes of specialist memory-clinic patients with early symptomatic Alzheimer's disease towards lecanemab in Europe. In this anonymous, international, multicentre, cross-sectional survey conducted from October 14, 2024 to February 18, 2025, a standardized, expert-developed questionnaire assessed attitudes towards lecanemab treatment and EU approval. Before answering four binary questions, participants received brief explanatory information on expected clinical benefit, amyloid-related imaging abnormalities (ARIA), and the increased ARIA risk associated with APOE ε4 homozygosity. The survey was conducted in specialist memory clinics within the European Alzheimer's Disease Consortium (EADC), the German memory clinic network (DNG), and Austrian memory centers. Available recruitment-flow data were limited to completed questionnaires because the survey was anonymous and distributed locally. 281 patients with early symptomatic Alzheimer's disease completed the survey. Network-level sample sizes were EADC n = 202, DNG n = 60, and Austria n = 19; country-specific sample sizes within the EADC and response rates were not available. Endorsement was high for both individual treatment with lecanemab (81.9%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 76.8-86.2) and general EU approval (91.8%, 95% CI 87.9-94.7). Endorsement remained substantial, but was lower, in the context of APOE ε4 homozygosity (treatment: 61.2%, 95% CI 55.2-66.9; approval: 76.5%, 95% CI 71.1-81.3). Approval-related questions received higher endorsement than treatment-related questions (84% vs. 72%; p < 0.001). Support for approval for APOE ε4 homozygotes declined after regulatory recommendations excluded this group (from 87% to 73%; p = 0.025); this comparison reflects independent respondents completing the anonymous survey before versus after November 14, 2024. Network-level comparisons were descriptive and underpowered for geographic inference. High endorsement within this specialist memory-clinic sample suggests perceived value of access to lecanemab. Greater endorsement for approval than for individual treatment may reflect support for treatment access beyond personal treatment choice, but alternative explanations such as social desirability, acquiescence, misunderstanding, or effects of the survey information cannot be excluded. The findings should not be generalized beyond specialist memory-clinic patients and should be interpreted in view of potential selection and response biases, absent response-rate data, and the brief, non-validated binary questionnaire.

PMID:
42426158
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 10 Jul 2026.

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