Aricept in the later stages

'This study illustrates that Aricept is effective in the late stages of Alzheimer's disease and adds to the existing evidence, which supports the need for the drug to be made available for people with all stages of Alzheimer's disease.

It is ironic to think that while more evidence is emerging as to the effectiveness of drug treatments for Alzheimer's disease, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) is threatening to restrict their use because of cost.

While improvements in people in the later stages of Alzheimer's disease on Aricept are sometimes small, these small changes can make an enormous difference to a person's life. It can mean being able to indicate when you are hungry or thirsty or increase a person's mobility, preventing painful bedsores.

People should be given the opportunity to try the drugs and continue taking them if they work. The Alzheimer's Society believes the decision to give people Aricept should be made by a clinician on an individual basis not on the results of a mini mental state exam (MMSE) as current NICE guidance dictates.

Taking people off the drugs suddenly can often have harmful side-effects and cause an acceleration of dementia.

NICE need to amend its guidance so that everyone with dementia who may benefit has access to the drugs - whatever stage of dementia they have. Restricting the use of the only drug treatments for people with Alzheimer's disease would see Britain return to the dark ages of dementia care practice and undermine the values of protecting the vulnerable and sick that underpin our society.'

Susanne Sorensen
Head of research