10 RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

Rivastigmin beneficial in Alzheimer's disease

The selective acetylcholinesterase inhibitor rivastigmin* [ENA-713] improves cognitive and global functioning and activities of daily living in patients with Alzheimer's disease, according to the results of a multicentre study that were presented at the recent 16th World Congress of Neurology, held in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The study, which is part of the ongoing ADENA** programme, involved 2096 patients of mean age 73 years who had mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease. They were randomised to receive rivastigmin 1-4 or 6-12 mg/day or placebo.

Improved scores After 6 months' follow-up, rivastigmin recipients

experienced an increase of 0.79 points on the cognitive scale of the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale, while scores decreased by 4.15 points among placebo recipients.

Compared with placebo recipients, rivastigmin recipients also experienced significant benefit with respect to Clinician's Interview-Based Impression of Change scores. Among rivastigmin 1-4 and 6-12 mg/day recipients, scores decreased by a mean of 0.16 and 0.13 points, respectively, while scores decreased by a mean of 0.48 points among placebo recipients.

In addition, caregiver-rated Progressive Deterioration Scale scores were significantly better among rivastigmin 6-12 mglday, compared with placebo, recipients. * Novar1is; registeTf!fi

** Akheimer's Disease withENA-713 programme Investigational drug holds promise for Alzheimer's disease.

Reuters Health [online] : [1 page], 26 Sep 1997. Available from:

URL: http://www.reutcrsbealth.com '00'"''''

>- Editorial comment: Rivastigmin was recently approved in Switzerland/or use in patients with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease [see 1npharma 1101: 22, 23 Aug 1997; 800556392].

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