The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 269 No 7219 p516
12 October 2002

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European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (www.ecnp.nl)

Memantine launched for treatment of Alzheimer's

MEMANTINE (Ebixa) — an N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist launched this week in the United Kingdom — continues to provide benefits to patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) after one year, researchers report.

An American study of 252 patients with severe AD showed that 29 per cent of those given memantine (20mg/daily for 28 weeks) achieved improvement or stabilisation in global response, their ability to perform daily activities or their cognition, compared with only one in ten of those randomised to placebo (10 per cent; P=0.0004).

The improvements continued for at least 12 months in an open-label extension of the study, and carers needed to spend less time with patients treated with memantine.

Meanwhile, a European study of 166 patients with moderately-severe to severe dementia (AD and vascular dementia) showed that twice as many patients treated with memantine achieved significant improvement or stabilisation in global response, function and behaviour, as those randomised to placebo (61.3 per cent versus 31.6 per cent; P=0.0008).

Both studies were presented at the Congress of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology in Barcelona earlier this week.

Dr David Wilkinson, consultant in old age psychiatry, Moorgreen Hospital, Southampton, commented: "Studies with memantine suggest that it achieves meaningful improvements in cognition and function in patients with severe Alzheimer's disease. There is emerging evidence that the drug may be neuroprotective. Studies in patients with mild cognitive impairment are underway to see if memantine can prevent the progression of AD in the early stages."

He estimated memantine therapy would cost £72 per month. "It is not at all expensive if treatment makes a difference to patients with this debilitating disease and reduces the burden on carers," he added.