Alzheimer’s Test Only Covered in Clinical Trials

Jul 11, 2013, 08:00 by Michael Croft
Medical Daily | Medicare and Medicaid have placed regulations on Eli Lilly's Amyvid test for Alzheimer's disease, only allowing coverage to patients who participate in clinical trials for the test.
July 11, 2013 | Amyvid is a new test that identifies the presence of amyloid proteins in the brain’s of potential Alzheimer’s patients. Developed by Eli Lilly and Co in 2011, Amyvid marks amyloids so that brain scans can identify if there are accumulations of the protein, a common characteristic of the disease.  Although amyloid proteins play a role in the worsening of Alzheimer’s disease, the accumulation alone cannot be used to make the diagnosis. Because of this uncertainty, Medicare and Medicaid insurance companies have placed regulations on Amyvid, only allowing coverage to patients who participate in clinical trials for the test. Medical Daily