Lilly Expands Digital Health Platform to Address Critical Gaps in Alzheimer's Disease Diagnosis and Care
An estimated 3000 Americans progress daily from mild to moderate or severe stages of Alzheimer's disease, making timely diagnosis imperative, Lilly said.
Eli Lilly and Company has expanded its LillyDirect digital healthcare platform to facilitate connection between individuals with potential Alzheimer disease (AD) and independent healthcare providers—both in-person and via telehealth—addressing significant diagnostic and treatment bottlenecks in the current healthcare system.1
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The initiative aims to reduce the prolonged diagnostic timeline for AD, which currently exceeds 2 years post-symptom onset for many.2 This delay is particularly disturbing given that approximately 3000 Americans progress daily from mild to moderate or severe stages of Alzheimer's disease,3 at which point therapeutic options become significantly more limited, according to a company statement.
Epidemiological data suggest that the majority of the estimated 7 million Americans living with Alzheimer's disease remain undiagnosed.4 Compounding this issue, wait times to see dementia specialists are projected to exceed 1 year in 2025, with rural and underserved populations facing even more substantial barriers to care.5 Medicare data indicate that nearly 20% of beneficiaries travel more than 50 miles each direction for neurologic consultations.6
"Early diagnosis and care can significantly alter disease trajectories in Alzheimer's disease," David Hyman, MD, Lilly's chief medical officer, noted in the statement. "Our platform expansion aims to increase independent specialty care capacity that can coordinate with patients' existing care teams."
Unlike other conditions represented on LillyDirect, the Alzheimer's disease resources will not include mail-order pharmacy options for Lilly medications. Instead, the platform will focus on educational content and facilitating connections to independent providers through 2 primary mechanisms:
1. Healthgrades integration: The platform incorporates Healthgrades' doctor locator tool, enabling individuals to identify local clinicians experienced in Alzheimer's management and biomarker testing. Users can apply multiple filters to identify specialists matching their specific requirements.
2. Synapicture link: The platform offers connections to the independent telehealth provider that specializes in neurodegenerative care. Synapticure was selected for its comprehensive approach to AD management across the full spectrum of care, Lilly said.
As described in the statement, Synapticure commits to connecting individuals with a care navigator within approximately 48 hours of inquiry and to scheduling neurologist appointments within approximately 2 weeks—significantly faster than current wait times in many regions. The telehealth model includes video consultations, insurance navigation, 24-hour access capabilities, medication management, and behavioral health support.
"As a caregiver of someone with a neurodegenerative condition, I helped start Synapticure to ensure that patients receive timely and accurate diagnoses, as well as ongoing support and treatment," said Sandra Abrevaya, CEO of Synapticure. "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."
The platform continues to offer educational resources through MoreThanNormalAging.com, covering the Alzheimer's disease spectrum from symptom recognition through diagnosis discussions with healthcare providers.
This platform expansion is part of the company's broader strategy to address critical care gaps in AD management, Lilly stated, particularly as biomarker testing and early intervention become increasingly important components of standard care.
