Pritzker signs bill to end step therapy for Alzheimer's patients in Illinois
Gov. JB Pritzker signed a bill into law on Tuesday that would eliminate 'step therapy,' meaning patients will no longer have to try cheaper drugs before taking medication prescribed by their doctor.
Advocates for the law said it will save patients money.
David Olsen, of the Alzheimer's Association Illinois Chapter, said, 'Because these are expensive treatments where the average person doesn't have access to them unless their insurance is going to pay for it whether that's through Medicare, Medicaid, or private insurance.'
The law will also cover diagnostic testing needed to confirm an Alzheimer's diagnosis, beginning in 2027.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Insider
34 minutes ago
- Business Insider
Sarepta says eight-year-old death deemed unrelated to Elevidys
Sarepta (SRPT) said in a statement Friday night: 'Just before 6:00 p.m. ET today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a press release announcing an investigation into the death of an eight-year-old Duchenne muscular dystrophy patient who had received Elevidys gene therapy. The death of this patient was deemed unrelated to treatment with Elevidys…Sarepta reported this event to FDA on June 18, 2025, via the FDA's postmarketing electronic database, FAERS. At Sarepta, patient safety and well-being are always our top priority. We are committed to upholding the highest safety standards for all of our therapies, and do so in accordance with applicable law and commitment to full regulatory transparency. Elevidys is the only approved gene therapy for families and children devastated by Duchenne, a rare, progressive and ultimately fatal disease. We remain committed to working closely with the FDA to ensure that all decisions are grounded in science and the best interests of patients, considering the compelling need of these families to access disease-modifying therapy.' Elevate Your Investing Strategy:
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
Breakthrough as two FDA-approved drugs are found to reverse Alzheimer's — including restoring memory
In a stunning scientific discovery, researchers have found that a pair of drugs can not only slow down Alzheimer's disease but actually reverse it and restore memory in mice. And the best part of all? Both are already FDA-approved — albeit for cancer. Researchers first pinpointed how Alzheimer's disease scrambles gene activity in individual brain cells. 3 Researchers have found that a pair of drugs can not only slow down Alzheimer's disease but actually reverse it and restore memory in mice. Pixel-Shot – Using the Connectivity Map database of 1,300 FDA‑approved drugs, the researchers looked for medications that reverse Alzheimer's‑associated gene expression — landing on a shortlist of five, and zeroing in on two cancer drugs. In what one researcher called a 'mock clinical trial,' they then mined 1.4 million patients' medical records, finding that those who had taken letrozole or irinotecan for cancer were significantly less likely to develop Alzheimer's. When given together in an aggressive Alzheimer's mouse model, letrozole — used to treat certain types of breast cancer in postmenopausal women — and irinotecan — an anti-cancer medication used to treat colon cancer and small cell lung cancer — reversed disease‑related gene expression signatures, dissolved toxic tau protein clumps and prevented brain degeneration. Most importantly, they restored memory and learning in mice that had already developed severe symptoms. It's an exciting development for an illness that's notoriously tricky. 3 Letrozole — used to treat certain types of breast cancer in postmenopausal women — and irinotecan — an anti-cancer medication used to treat colon cancer and small cell lung cancer — reversed disease‑related gene expression signatures, dissolved toxic tau protein clumps and prevented brain degeneration. Eric Hood – 'Alzheimer's disease comes with complex changes to the brain, which has made it tough to study and treat, but our computational tools opened up the possibility of tackling the complexity directly,' Marina Sirota, the interim director of the UCSF Bakar Computational Health Sciences Institute, said in a statement. 'We're excited that our computational approach led us to a potential combination therapy for Alzheimer's based on existing FDA-approved medications.' 'Alzheimer's is likely the result of numerous alterations in many genes and proteins that, together, disrupt brain health,' said Yadong Huang, a professor of neurology and pathology at UCSF. 'This makes it very challenging for drug development — which traditionally produces one drug for a single gene or protein that drives disease.' 3 'Alzheimer's is likely the result of numerous alterations in many genes and proteins that, together, disrupt brain health,' said Yadong Huang, a professor of neurology and pathology at UCSF. yurakrasil – The findings were published in the journal Cell. Both drugs are already FDA‑approved for other uses, which could dramatically speed up the path to human trials. However, because they are cancer drugs, repurposing them may be complex and risky. This finding adds to a growing number of potential Alzheimer's treatments. A compound found in rosemary and sage — carnosic acid — has been shown to reverse memory loss and reduce brain inflammation in mice with Alzheimer's, bringing their cognitive function back to near-normal levels. A study from Stanford Medicine found that seniors who received the shingles vaccine were 20% less likely to develop dementia over seven years. And researchers at Penn State and Stanford University discovered that a certain cancer drug could restore memory and brain function in early stage Alzheimer's models.
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
First-of-its-kind Alzheimer's center opens on Long Island: ‘Whole new world'
A first-of-its-kind day facility for Alzheimer's patients that also specifically helps their families has opened on Long Island. Amityville's new Barbara Rabinowitz Education & Resource Center includes even a special transit-focused room to teach families how to travel with their affected loved ones — using items such as real LIRR train seats and an airplane row. 8 A first-of-its-kind day facility for Alzheimer's patients that also specifically helps their families has opened on Long Island. Advertisement 8 The site is designed for professionals to aid the families of the estimated 60,000 Long Islanders battling dementia on how to better manage their circumstances. 'I'd never even imagined something like this — it would have just made life easier,' said Barbara's son Michael Rabinowitz, who worked with the Alzheimer's Foundation of America to open the 11,500-square-foot location named after his mom. 'Something like this will just teach you how to live with it. It's a whole new world for you,' the Oyster Bay man told The Post. Advertisement The site is designed for professionals to aid the families of the estimated 60,000 Long Islanders battling dementia on how to better manage their circumstances, as well as create a more calm environment for the patients themselves. The center also conducts regular memory screenings. 8 Newspaper article about Barbara Rabinowitz and the opening of the AFA Barbara Rabinowitz Education and Resource Center. Initial programming for patients focuses on enjoyable ways for them to spend their time, such as poetry in motion, karaoke, 'mind games' including true or false questions, sensory-themed bingo and a special 'Wheel of Fortune' themed word game coming Friday. 8 The center also conducts regular memory screenings. Advertisement 8 Initial programming for patients focuses on enjoyable ways for them to spend their time, such as poetry in motion, and karaoke. Helping families who need it most Rabinowitz, a recently retired 67-year-old investment banker, lost his 89-year-old mother in 2022 after she fought Alzheimer's for six years. 'We didn't even know how to approach it,' Rabinowitz said of the disease. 'The family suffers the most. … It's a real struggle, and people who haven't gone through it really wouldn't know. It's hard to explain.' He and his family launched the Rabinowitz Charitable Foundation in 2003 and have contributed to causes such as children with special needs and multiple sclerosis, which Rabinowitz's father suffered from, before turning to Alzheimer's issues. Advertisement Rabinowitz reached out to a close friend to bring the facility to LI — former local state Sen. Chuck Fuschilio, who has been the AFA's president and CEO since retiring from politics just over 10 years ago. 8 He and his family launched the Rabinowitz Charitable Foundation in 2003 and have contributed to causes such as children with special needs and multiple sclerosis. 8 Rabinowitz reached out to a close friend to bring the facility to LI — former local state Sen. Chuck Fuschilio. Fuschilio began scouring the South Shore for an appropriate location for the site, with the search leading him to a property across from and owned by Dominican Village, home to the world's oldest nun and other members of the Catholic order. 'There was a higher calling, so we all won,' he said with a smile. 'This center will fill a significant need for so many families, and we're very proud of that.' Rabinowitz is most impressed by 'not so much the science, but the psychology' that went into the facility's planning, as it also includes several sensory rooms to help handle dementia in a relaxing manner. 8 Rabinowitz is most impressed by 'not so much the science, but the psychology' that went into the facility's planning. He was happy to lead the charge on getting the property set to go, as labors of love run in the family. Advertisement The son described Brooklynite Barbara — who cared not only for her own mother but also for her husband — as the one who taught him why it's essential to do good for others in life. 'There was a lot of pressure on her, coming from very humble beginnings. They had very little, but they were great parents. They gave us what they had,' he said. 'They would be unbelievably proud of this.'
