NORTH DAKOTA (KXNET) — Recently, the Federal Drug Administration approved a new drug to treat Alzheimer’s, which is good news for the more than six million Americans living with the disease.

The drug is called Leqembi and in clinical trials, it has proven to slow cognitive decline in patients in the early stages of the illness.

However, if someone doesn’t have health insurance, it would cost them nearly $27,000 a year.

Which could limit the accessibility for the 15,000 people over the age of 65, living with Alzheimer’s in our state.

“The Alzheimer’s Association has submitted a formal request for the Centers of Medicaid and Medicare to reevaluate the cost of this drug and the ability to cover this FDA-approved treatment,” said Lisa Groon, the senior health systems director at the Alzheimer’s Association.

The FDA approved Leqembi in an accelerated pathway, which is used for early approval of new medications that fill an unmet medical need.