At-Home Lecanemab: ‘Encouraging’ First Data

 Weekly at-home administration of subcutaneous lecanemab (Leqembi Iqlik, Eisai/Biogen) appears feasible and acceptable as maintenance therapy for early Alzheimer's disease (AD), the first real-world findings with the formulation suggest. 

Most patients in the cohort maintained their disease stage after transitioning to subcutaneous maintenance lecanemab, and all of them continued taking the drug. Both patients and caregivers were able to administer the anti-amyloid successfully, the data showed. 

While this initial cohort is small, it provides a “first sneak peek at some of the emerging data we're starting to see with the use of subcutaneous lecanemab for maintenance therapy,” said study investigator Gregory Cooper, MD, PhD, of Norton Neuroscience Institute in Louisville, Kentucky.

The findings were presented July 14 at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference (AAIC) 2026. 

Lecanemab was previously approved only for intravenous (IV) initiation, with the option to transition after 18 months to either IV or weekly subcutaneous maintenance dosing. 

Earlier this month, the FDA approved a new starting dosage regimen for the subcutaneous formulation of the drug, marking the first time patients are able to start treatment at home. 

Cooper reported an interim subgroup analysis of 14 patients from the ongoing LEADER study who transitioned to weekly at-home subcutaneous lecanemab maintenance therapy. The mean age was 72.6 years, and half of the patients were women. All were White and non-Hispanic. 

At baseline, seven patients had mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to AD and seven had mild Alzheimer’s dementia. After a mean of 726.8 days of lecanemab treatment overall, 12 patients (85.7%) remained at the same clinician-assessed disease stage as at baseline, while two patients (14.3%) progressed to a later stage.

Stability was defined as remaining within the same broad disease category — MCI due to AD or mild AD dementia — and was based on clinician judgment rather than changes on a standardized cognitive or functional scale. 

All 14 patients remained on weekly subcutaneous maintenance treatment at the time of chart review. “Typically, patients who go to subcutaneous therapy don't go back to IV therapy. They're very happy with that therapy,” Cooper told conference attendees. 

No new cases of amyloid-related imaging abnormalities (ARIA) were reported during the subcutaneous maintenance period. There were no macrohemorrhages, intracerebral hemorrhages, treatment-related deaths, or discontinuations because of adverse events.

Cooper emphasized that the findings remain preliminary. 

“This subgroup included only 14 patients,” he said, but noted that his center now has about 40 patients receiving subcutaneous lecanemab therapy and that its experience “lines up exactly with what we’re seeing in this study,” he said.

He added that the investigators expect substantially more information from the study’s next data cut in September and subsequent analyses.

Yuko Hara, PhD, director of aging and Alzheimer’s prevention at the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation, said the findings are an encouraging first look at how at-home subcutaneous lecanemab might perform in clinical practice.

“Most importantly, there is high satisfaction among patients with the subcutaneous formulation. Larger cohorts with longer follow-up will be needed to understand how well this approach works across different patients and care settings,” Hara told Medscape Medical News. 

The timing is significant, she noted, given the FDA’s recent approval of subcutaneous initiation dosing, allowing more patients to start and continue treatment at home. “That could fundamentally change how treatment fits into daily life,” Hara said. 

Rebecca Edelmayer, PhD, vice president of scientific engagement at the Alzheimer’s Association, agreed. 

“People living with early Alzheimer’s want the convenience of at-home use with an autoinjector, similar to those used for treatment of diabetes, arthritis, and severe allergies. Successful and safe subcutaneous administration opens up more options for people who live far from an infusion center or face transportation, mobility, or scheduling challenges,” she told Medscape Medical News. 

“These data are encouraging, demonstrating in this small study population the first evidence that subcutaneous delivery of lecanemab showed similar effectiveness and safety to IV infusion,” Edelmayer added.

The LEADER study is sponsored by Eisai. Disclosures for the authors are available with the original presentation materials. Hara and Edelmayer report no relevant disclosures.

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/home-lecanemab-encouraging-first-data-2026a1000ov4