EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL JANUARY 22, 1998
For more information contact:
AAN Communications
(612) 695-1940
Drug Improves AlzheimerÃs Patientsà Ability to Function
St. Paul, MN (January 22, 1998) AlzheimerÃs disease (AD) patients suffering with memory and other cognitive impairments may find help with donepezil. The currently-available drug improves patientsà cognition and ability to function, according to a study published in the January issue of Neurology, the American Academy of NeurologyÃs scientific journal.
Study co-author Lawrence T. Friedhoff, MD, PhD, Eisai Inc, Teaneck, NJ, says, ìAlthough donepezil is not the first treatment for AD, it is the first treatment that is practical for most patients as illustrated by the high proportion of patients that completed the study. The results show that on average, an AD patient will improve cognitively after six months of treatment with donepezil while patients who receive placebo (inactive pill) will on average have worse cognition after six months.î For 24 weeks, 473 patients with mild to moderately severe AD received placebo, 5mg of donepezil, or 10mg of donepezil. As seen through standard cognitive test performance, 80 percent of the patients receiving donepezil improved or showed no decline in their abilities while taking the drug. The 10mg dose was shown to be the optimal dose with maximum benefits and good tolerability. Following a six-week wash-out period in which everyone received placebo, no significant differences in ability were seen between the groups. Friedhoff cautions, ìWhen donepezil was discontinued, patients cognitive ability declined to the same level as placebo-treated patients. Continued treatment is important to maintain the clinical benefit.
ìAlzheimerÃs patients lose brain cells that produce acetylcholine, a chemical that carries messages between brain nerve cells,î explains Friedhoff. ìDonepezil blocks the chemical breakdown of acetylcholine and thereby increases the levels of the chemical in the brain. DonepezilÃs unique chemical structure makes it more specific for effects on the brain than other drugs.î
Although some gastrointestinal side effects, such as diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, were reported, a high percentage of patients treated with donepezil were able to tolerate the drug. Seven percent of patients receiving placebo, six percent taking 5mg of donepezil and 17 percent receiving 10mg discontinued the study due to adverse effects. Donepezil also has a long duration of action which allows a once-a-day dose.
Approximately four million Americans currently suffer with Alzheimer's, and it is estimated that number will increase to at least seven million by the 21st Century. AD is a debilitating, life-altering disease that attacks the brain. Its primary symptom is progressive memory loss, but difficulties with vision, language skills, and emotional control are also common.
###
RSS