Alzheimer's Society response to the publication of revised NICE guidance on Alzheimer's treatments
Published 11 June 2009
Thousands of people with Alzheimer’s will continue to be denied access to the only drug treatments for the disease following the publication of revised guidance by NICE.
The original guidance recommended that only people in the moderate stages of Alzheimer's disease should have access to drugs in the NHS, denying them to people in the early stages.
Amendments were made following a Court of Appeal decision to allow consultees access to the health economic model that the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) used in the development of the guidance and a subsequent review of this model by relevant stakeholders, including Alzheimer's Society.
Despite the concerns raised by the consultees on the flaws in the economic model, the newly published and amended Final Appraisal Determination (FAD) has not altered its original recommendations and people in the early stages of dementia will still be deprived access to effective treatments.
Neil Hunt, Chief Executive, Alzheimer's Society, says,
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Despite the concerns raised by the consultees on the flaws in the economic model, the newly published and amended Final Appraisal Determination (FAD) has not altered its original recommendations and people in the early stages of dementia will still be deprived access to effective treatments.
Neil Hunt, Chief Executive, Alzheimer's Society, says,
'Alzheimer's Society has long campaigned for the thousands of people in the early stages of dementia to be given access to the effective treatments that they are currently denied because of cost. It is completely unacceptable to deny people with dementia the only treatments that could improve quality of life for them and their carers.Find out more about drug treatment for Alzheimer's disease
We are extremely disappointed to see that the NICE guidance is essentially unchanged, despite what we feel are fundamental flaws in the economic model they have used to inform their recommendations. The glimmer of hope is that NICE has finally committed to a full review to address these concerns, as soon as possible. This will be little consolation for the thousands of people who will develop Alzheimer's disease this year but provides hope for the future that this incomprehensible decision will be changed.
We look forward to working with NICE to ensure the problems with the current economic model are overcome and people with dementia are given a fair deal.'
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