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Eli Lilly has announced the first approval for a disease-modifying drug (DMD) for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease in India with Lormalzi, which has been approved on a merger basis with its exclusive partner for the Indian market, Biht Kate Healthcare Ltd. The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) granted marketing authorization for the drug, and it was released around mid-May 2026.

Lormalzi is a prescription medicine that is given into a vein into your body once a month. It interrupts and clears amyloid plaques from the brain, which are a characteristic of Alzheimer's disease, and is used to treat people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or mild dementia from Alzheimer's. It has been found to slow mental and physical deterioration in early-stage patients during clinical trials.

Pricing has been the talk of the town—the price of a single 350 mg vial is Rs 91,688 (close to Rs one lakh). This treatment can last up to 18 months, which can be a quite expensive treatment. Eli Lilly has announced a patient access program to provide access to the drug at reduced prices for certain patients.

This launch offers new hope, as the actual number of individuals living with dementia in India is close to 8.8 million, which is set to increase in a big way. But high expense and early detection pose a problem for the majority of families. The doctors advise that before you begin therapy, you must check with neurologists to see if you are suitable.