Drug holds back Alzheimer's disease

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

A follow-up trial shows that a new drug can slow down the progression of moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease.
Namenda® is the only drug that is approved for later stage Alzheimer's disease. At this time, most patients begin to lose the ability to care for themselves, so anything that can help them and their carers is clearly to be welcomed.

Researchers at New York University now report on a follow-up to the original trials of the drug. This involved switching placebo patients onto active treatment. A group of 175 patients took part and all received benefit in terms of improved cognitive and functional ability. The treatment was effective for one year and has the effect of slowing down the progression of the disease. This was confirmed by an assessment of abilities and behavior given by caregivers. Clearly Namenda can bring important benefits to those with moderate to severe dementia.

Source
Archives of Neurology January 2006

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