Drug Slows Alzheimer's Symptoms

A drug used to treat symptoms of moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease appears to be effective for one year, according to the results of a new multicenter study that provides additional support for the continuing effectiveness of the treatment, called Namenda®, for patients in the later stages of the disease (Archives of Neurology, January 2006).

"This study demonstrates that it is possible to alleviate some of the cognitive and functional losses associated with the later stages of Alzheimer's, providing a basis for greater optimism on the part of caregivers," said Barry Reisberg, MD, professor of psychiatry at NYU School of Medicine, the lead investigator of the study.

"Our study verifies that this medication continues to be beneficial and is safe with remarkably few side effects," said Dr. Reisberg, who is also Clinical Director of the Silberstein Aging and Dementia Research Center at NYU School of Medicine.

Namenda® was approved in October 2003 by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease. The approval was based partly on a rigorous 28-week study of 252 people who were randomly chosen to receive the drug or a placebo. The results, published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine in the spring of 2003, showed that the drug could slow the downward spiral of the disease. Dr. Reisberg also was the principal investigator of this study.
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