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medpundit |
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Thursday, June 24, 2004Pfizer Inc.'s Aricept drug for Alzheimer's disease didn't prevent worsening of disability caused by the brain malady and isn't a cost-effective treatment, a study of 565 patients published in the U.K. journal the Lancet found. After three years, 58 percent of those taking donepezil, marketed as Aricept, had a worsening of their disability, compared with 59 percent of those on placebo, researchers at the University of Birmingham in the U.K. found. It didn't reduce the likelihood of patients needing extended care, the authors said. No news there. From the time of its introduction it was known to be ineffective. The best claim drugs like this can make is a one year delay in mental decline in 20% of patients taking it. Not exactly effective, but family's will grab the slightest chance for the slightest improvement, such is the burden of the disease. And at $130 a month, that slight hope comes at a hefty price. Aricept is an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, the same kind of stuff found in bug spray. It's about as effective as bug spray, too. posted by Sydney on 6/24/2004 10:20:00 PM 0 comments 0 Comments: |
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