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New Study Shows Medication May Help Parkinson's Disease Patients Who Suffer From Dementia

Posted on: Thursday, 9 December 2004, 09:00 CST

NEW YORK, Dec. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- THIS IS A MULTIVU SPECIAL REPORT.

OVER ONE MILLION AMERICANS SUFFER FROM PARKINSON'S DISEASE AND MANY WILL EXPERIENCE SOME DEGREE OF DEMENTIA. NOW, A STUDY IN THE NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE SHOWS THAT THERE MAY BE HELP FOR PARKINSON'S PATIENTS WITH DEMENTIA.

THE STUDY, CALLED "EXPRESS," EXAMINED THE EFFECTS OF EXELON(R), OR RIVASTIGMINE, AN ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE MEDICATION, IN PARKINSON'S PATIENTS WHO SUFFER FROM DEMENTIA.

DR. JEFFREY CUMMINGS, PROFESSOR OF NEUROLOGY AT UCLA ON THE 'EXPRESS' STUDY:

"The 'Express' study shows that Rivastigmine, or Exelon, will potentially offer an advantage to patients in terms of treating memory and thinking loss."

THIS IS THE FIRST LARGE-SCALE STUDY TO SHOW BENEFIT IN TREATING DEMENTIA IN THESE PATIENTS.

EXELON IS INDICATED FOR MILD-TO-MODERATE ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE. EXELON USE IS ASSOCIATED WITH SIGNIFICANT STOMACH-RELATED SIDE EFFECTS, INCLUDING NAUSEA, VOMITING, LOSS OF APPETITE, AND WEIGHT LOSS. FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE SEE COMPLETE PRESCRIBING INFORMATION AT http://www.exelon.com/.

I'M CHRISTIANE ARBESU.

SOUND BITE: JEFFREY CUMMINGS, MD, PROFESSOR OF NEUROLOGY AT UCLA

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: Audio version and more available at http://www.prnewswire.com/broadcast/20529/consumer.shtml

AUDIO PROVIDED BY: Novartis Pharmaceuticals

NOTE TO EDITORS:

Safety Information

EXELON(R) (RIVASTIGMINE TARTRATE) IS APPROVED FOR MILD TO MODERATE ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE. EXELON USE IS ASSOCIATED WITH SIGNIFICANT STOMACH- RELATED SIDE EFFECTS, INCLUDING NAUSEA, VOMITING, LOSS OF APPETITE, AND WEIGHT LOSS. IF THERAPY IS INTERRUPTED FOR LONGER THAN SEVERAL DAYS, TREATMENT SHOULD BE REINITIATED WITH THE LOWEST DAILY DOSE IN ORDER TO AVOID THE POSSIBILITY OF SEVERE VOMITING AND ITS POTENTIALLY SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES.

IN CLINICAL STUDIES, STOMACH-RELATED SIDE EFFECTS OCCURRED MORE FREQUENTLY AS DOSES WERE INCREASED. THE WEIGHT LOSS ASSOCIATED WITH EXELON OCCURRED MORE COMMONLY AMONG WOMEN RECEIVING HIGH DOSES IN CLINICAL STUDIES. BECAUSE THESE SIDE EFFECTS CAN BE SERIOUS, CAREGIVERS SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED TO MONITOR FOR THESE ADVERSE EVENTS AND INFORM THE PHYSICIAN IF THEY OCCUR. PEOPLE AT RISK FOR CERTAIN HEART CONDITIONS OR STOMACH ULCERS SHOULD NOTIFY THEIR DOCTOR BEFORE STARTING EXELON THERAPY. IN CLINICAL STUDIES, SOME PATIENTS ALSO EXPERIENCED FAINTING, WEAKNESS AND UPSET STOMACH. FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE SEE COMPLETE PRESCRIBING INFORMATION AT http://www.exelon.com/.

Audio: Note to Editor - Press Only - included Audio, MP3 requests,contact information and more available athttp://www.prnewswire.com/broadcast/20529/press.shtml

Novartis Pharmaceuticals

Contact: For story information, please call MultiVu, 1-800-653-5313,ext. 3, radio@multivu.com

Web site: http://www.multivu.com/http://www.exelon.com/

Source: PRNewswire

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