Lecanemab four-weekly maintenance dosing approved in China
After the 18-month two-weekly induction phase, patients in China can now switch to 10 mg/kg every four weeks. For a patient travelling from abroad, that change matters more than any efficacy headline.
At a glance
- Generic name
- Lecanemab
- Brand
- 乐意保 / Leqembi
- Development code
- BAN2401
- Regulatory status
- Approved in China (NMPA, 2024-01-05); four-weekly maintenance regimen approved 2025-09
What happened
Eisai and Biogen announced that China's NMPA approved a maintenance dosing regimen for lecanemab. After completing the 18-month initiation phase at 10 mg/kg every two weeks, patients may switch to 10 mg/kg intravenously every four weeks, or continue on the two-weekly schedule.
Lecanemab itself was approved in China on 5 January 2024 for mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer's disease and mild Alzheimer's dementia — the third country to approve it, after the United States and Japan.
Why it matters
The approval changes logistics more than pharmacology. A two-weekly infusion schedule is effectively impossible to combine with a short medical trip, and hard to sustain for a family travelling from abroad.
A four-weekly maintenance schedule after induction makes a China-based treatment plan considerably easier to structure — but only for patients who can complete, or have already completed, the 18-month induction somewhere.
Access in China
Where it is available
Nationally approved. In practice it is prescribed at memory clinics that can confirm amyloid pathology and run MRI follow-up for ARIA. Which hospitals currently accept new international self-pay patients is not published; we confirm it during intake.
Language support
International departments at major public hospitals provide English support. Standard neurology outpatient clinics generally do not, and interpretation has to be arranged.
Typical timeline
Induction is 18 months of two-weekly infusions; maintenance is then four-weekly. The work-up before the first infusion — amyloid confirmation, APOE ε4, baseline MRI — typically takes weeks, not days.
Cost
No figure is published here. We do not publish a price we cannot back with a written quotation from a specific hospital — ask us and we will obtain it in writing before you commit to anything.
What we don't know
These are the questions patients actually ask, and the ones nobody publishes. We list them rather than filling them with guesses.
- •Whether a centre confirms amyloid status by PET, CSF or blood biomarker.
- •Current per-infusion price and whether any patient-assistance route exists for foreign self-pay patients.
- •Whether a patient who began induction in another country can transfer mid-course.
- •MRI monitoring intervals applied locally.
Sources
- Eisai China — maintenance dosing approval announcement
Original language: Chinese · Published 2025-09-29
- NMPA — approval of lecanemab injection
Original language: Chinese · Published 2024-01-09
Need to know if this applies to you?
Send the diagnosis and treatment history. We check availability with the hospital, get the current price in writing, and tell you what has to happen before you travel.
Published 2025-09-29 . This page is general information, not medical advice, diagnosis or a recommendation for any individual. Regulatory status, availability and price can change without notice — confirm with the treating hospital before making decisions.