NICE Decision on Alzheimer Drugs Due April 2006
By Anonymous
The NICE Alzheimer’s drugs appraisal committee meets again next week to consider evidence on the effectiveness of drugs for the treatment of subgroups of patients with Alzheimer’s disease.
The committee will consider data from pharmaceutical companies on the effectiveness of cholinesterase inhibitors.
The final draft of its review of donepezil, rivastigmine. galantamine and memantine for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease is not expected until April 2006.
The review was meant to be completed by October, but was delayed because of an outcry at proposals that cholinesterase inhibitors should not be given first line to patients with newly diagnosed Alzheimer’s on the NHS.
Original NICE guidance still stands. It recommended that donepezil, rivastigmine and galantamine should be made available on the NHS as one part of the management of some patients with mild and moderate Alzheimer’s disease.
Copyright Haymarket Business Publications Ltd. Dec 16, 2005