LillyDirect Platform to Help Provide Alzeheimer’s Support
The tool will focus on educational resources by offering both in-person and telehealth support for individuals living in the United States.
Eli Lilly and Company is growing its LillyDirect digital healthcare platform to offer independent in-person and telehealth support for people in the United States that are living with Alzheimer's disease, many of whom may have not been officially diagnosed.1,2
Clinicians and those living with Alzheimer's disease have conveyed the value of boosting healthcare systems’ capabilities to be able to both diagnose and manage more of the nearly seven million Americans currently living with the disease.3 Unfortunately, patients are encountering long wait times to see a dementia specialist, times that are predicted to increase to more than one year in 2025. For those living in areas where access may be more difficult, it could be longer.4
The reality is that nearly one in five Medicare beneficiaries drive more than 50 miles each way to see a neurologist,5 and once they do, it can take two years or more after the start of symptoms for a patient to be given Alzheimer's disease diagnosis.6
"We know that early diagnosis and care can make a big difference for people living with Alzheimer's disease. By expanding this platform, we hope to help patients identify and access additional independent specialty care capacity, which can coordinate with a patient's existing care team," said David Hyman, MD, Lilly's chief medical officer. "The addition of Alzheimer's disease to LillyDirect reaffirms our commitment to empower patients to locate the care that is right for them when they need it."
Unlike other conditions available on LillyDirect—which is known for providing resources for disease management, featuring access to independent healthcare providers, support, and direct home delivery of certain Lilly medicines through third-party pharmacy dispensing services—the Alzheimer's disease resources will not include mail order pharmacy options to Lilly medicines, but rather, will focus on education and ways to connect people to independent providers.
These include:
- Healthgrades, an independent doctor locator tool
- Synapticure, an independent provider that specializes in neurodegenerative care
- The continuation of disease state education for people with memory concerns at MoreThanNormalAging.com
" … We are excited to be added to LillyDirect as a patient option for comprehensive telehealth services for Alzheimer's patients, especially those in rural and underserved communities,” noted said Sandra Abrevaya, CEO of Synapticure. “By leveraging our experienced team of clinicians and advanced telehealth capabilities, we aim to provide hope and help for patients and their families."
References
1. LillyDirect platform expands to facilitate access to Alzheimer's disease care. Eli Lilly and Company. March 27, 2025. Accessed March 27, 2025. https://investor.lilly.com/news-releases/news-release-details/lillydirect-platform-expands-facilitate-access-alzheimers
2. Lang L, Clifford A, Wei L, Zhang D, Leung D, Augustine G, Danat IM, Zhou W, Copeland JR, Anstey KJ, Chen R. Prevalence and determinants of undetected dementia in the community: a systematic literature review and a meta-analysis. BMJ Open. 2017 Feb 3;7(2):e011146. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2016-011146. PMID: 28159845; PMCID: PMC5293981.
3. 2024 Alzheimer's disease facts and figures. Alzheimers Dement. 2024 May;20(5):3708-3821. doi: 10.1002/alz.13809. Epub 2024 Apr 30. PMID: 38689398; PMCID: PMC11095490.
4. Jodi L. Liu, Lawrence Baker, Annie Chen, Jessie Wang, Federico Girosi. Detection and Geographic Variation in Health System Capacity for Alzheimer's Disease–Modifying Therapies. Rand Corp. Jan 30, 2024: https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/research_reports/RRA2600/RRA2643-1/RAND_RRA2643-1.pdf.
5. Lin CC, Hill CE, Kerber KA, Burke JF, Skolarus LE, Esper GJ, de Havenon A, De Lott LB, Callaghan BC. Patient Travel Distance to Neurologist Visits. Neurology. 2023 Oct 31;101(18):e1807-e1820. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000207810. Epub 2023 Sep 13. PMID: 37704403; PMCID: PMC10634641.
6. Ritchie CW, Black CM, Khandker RK, et al. Quantifying the Diagnostic Pathway for Patients with Cognitive Impairment: Real-World Data from Seven European and North American Countries. J Alzheimers Dis. 2018;62(1):457-466. doi:10.3233/JAD-170864.
