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UK Health Department Guidance on Alzheimers Drugs
Wed, 01/24/2001 - 12:00am — Karen Stevenson
Description:
UK's National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) has issued guidance to local councils on the use of drugs for the treatment of Alzheimers Disease. Three drugs, Aricept, Exelon and Reminyl, have been approved for treatment of mild to moderate Alzheimers. NICE estimates that there are about 400,000 people in the UK with Alzheimers, and that about 250,000 of them have mild to moderate levels of the disease.
NICE reports that Donepezil is marketed by Pfizer/Eisai as Aricept, rivastigmine by Novartis as Exelon and galantamine by Shire Pharmaceuticals and Janssen Cilag as Reminyl. The annual cost in the UK of donepezil is 891 (5 mg)/1,248 (10 mg), taken in a single daily dose, for rivastigmine is £821 (all doses), taken twice per day, and for galantamine is £876 (16 mg)/1049 (24 mg) (allowing for an initial starting dose of 8 mg daily), taken as 8 mg or 12 mg twice per day.
NICE points out that it is difficult to estimate the total aggregate cost of using these medications, but that the cost may be offset by later entry to a nursing home. For example, a delay of 12 weeks at £370 per week would yield a cost saving of about £4,500.
The NICE website includes full guidance for local councils and leaflets for patients.
UK's National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) has issued guidance to local councils on the use of drugs for the treatment of Alzheimers Disease. Three drugs, Aricept, Exelon and Reminyl, have been approved for treatment of mild to moderate Alzheimers. NICE estimates that there are about 400,000 people in the UK with Alzheimers, and that about 250,000 of them have mild to moderate levels of the disease.
NICE reports that Donepezil is marketed by Pfizer/Eisai as Aricept, rivastigmine by Novartis as Exelon and galantamine by Shire Pharmaceuticals and Janssen Cilag as Reminyl. The annual cost in the UK of donepezil is 891 (5 mg)/1,248 (10 mg), taken in a single daily dose, for rivastigmine is £821 (all doses), taken twice per day, and for galantamine is £876 (16 mg)/1049 (24 mg) (allowing for an initial starting dose of 8 mg daily), taken as 8 mg or 12 mg twice per day.
NICE points out that it is difficult to estimate the total aggregate cost of using these medications, but that the cost may be offset by later entry to a nursing home. For example, a delay of 12 weeks at £370 per week would yield a cost saving of about £4,500.
The NICE website includes full guidance for local councils and leaflets for patients.
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