New patch to ease Alzheimer's symptoms

Tue 24 Jun 2008

A skin patch to treat the early signs of Alzheimer's disease will be subsidised under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).

Dementia experts and support groups have welcomed the PBS approval of the first Alzheimer's medication in the form of a skin patch which is designed to continuously release into the bloodstream.

The treatment is claimed to be "smoother" and have fewer side-effects than current pill formulas widely used by dementia patients.

"It's a positive development because it will increase the effectiveness of the medication," said Glenn Rees from Alzheimer's Australia.

"Being able to do a bit to improve the quality of life for sufferers is very important and can mean so much."

More than 100,000 Australians have the degenerative brain disorder and while there is no cure, four medications are available to help alleviate the symptoms in people with mild to moderate disease.

The drugs do not impact on disease progression but are able to improve the ability to talk and do tasks like supermarket shopping, keeping a person independent for longer.

The Pfizer drug, Aricept, is the most widely used but the market has expanded with Exelon, by Novartis, now also available in patch form at a subsidised rate from July 1.

Two other dementia treatments - Reminyl and the newly-funded Ebixa, for restricted use only - are also subsidised.

Professor Henry Brodaty, director of the primary dementia collaborative research centre at the University of NSW, said the patch was an important new addition to existing treatments.

Side-effects like nausea and vomiting were still possible but were minimised with a transdermal (skin patch) approach.

"The benefits of the patch may allow carers to better manage, treat and therefore reduce some of the burden associated with caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's disease," Prof Brodaty said.

Professor Jurgen Gotz, director of the Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease laboratory at the Brain and Mind Research Institute in Sydney, agreed the slow release would improve treatment.

"But we must remember this is only to treat the symptoms," Prof Gotz said.

He said the holy grail of Alzheimer's treatment, a drug that could slow or even stop disease progression, was still three to five years away.

"That is the biggest goal, because this will dramatically change the whole landscape of the disease."