First studies to show that threatened drug treatments slow damage to the brain caused by dementia

This exciting new scientific evidence has been published just as the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) meet (Wednesday 1 June 2005) to decide whether to go ahead with plans to ban drug treatments for Alzheimer's disease on the NHS.

Researchers have published the first human research showing that anti cholinesterase drug treatments slow down the shrinkage of the brain in people with Alzheimer's disease. In the study, published in the April edition of American Journal of Psychiatry, researchers studied 54 people with Alzheimer's disease who were taking the drug treatment, and 93 people with Alzheimer's who took a placebo. The researchers used Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans to measure the loss of volume in the brain. The study showed that drug treatment slowed the degeneration in the brain caused by the disease.

A second piece of new research published in the Neurobiology of Disease, June-July 2005, suggests the cause of this change. Researchers showed that people who were taking the drug treatments for Alzheimer's diseases had fewer harmful beta-secretase enzymes than those who were on a placebo. Beta-secretase enzyme adversely affects the processing of amyloid proteins, one of the main proteins that leads to the damage of the brain in Alzheimer's disease. The research is the first to show that the drug treatments directly influence the processing of amyloid proteins, which leads to the formation of plaques.

Professor Clive Ballard, director of research at the Alzheimer's Society says,

'These are landmark studies in humans showing that the drugs actually change how Alzheimer's disease damages the brain. This research adds huge weight to the views of patients, carers, doctors and researchers who know these drugs do work. It is vital that NICE's appraisal committee change its guidance. Taken together with the enormous volume of clinical evidence it would be scandalous if a drug treatment which treats Alzheimer's disease was withdrawn from the NHS because of cost.'

On Tuesday 1 March 2005 NICE issued draft guidance, which stated that whilst drug treatments for Alzheimer's disease where clinically effective in alleviating symptoms of the disease they were not cost effective enough to be available on the NHS. Thousands of people with dementia and carers have written to NICE to tell them of the immense benefits of these drug treatments in relieving the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease.

For press and media enquiries please contact the Alzheimer's Society press office.

Notes for editors

• The NICE appraisal committee meet on Wednesday 1 June 2005. NICE should make its decision public in July.
• Research published in American Journal of Psychiatry. April 2005. Does donepezil treatment slow the progression of hippocampal atrophy in patients with Alzheimer's disease?
• Research published in the Neurobiology of Disease. 2005 Jun-Jul;19(1-2):237-42.
• The Alzheimer's Society submission to NICE's appraisal committee is available.
• Anti cholinesterase drug treatments for Alzheimer's disease do not work on all people.
• The Alzheimer's Society is the UK's leading care and research charity for people with dementia and their carers.
• The Alzheimer's Society is the Medical Journalists' Association Medical Charity of the Year. The Alzheimer's Society is the first organisation to win this award.
• Over 750,000 people in the UK have dementia. More than half have Alzheimer's disease.
• Dementia affects one in 20 people over the age of 65 and one in five over the age of 80.
• There are 18,500 people in the UK under the age of 65 with dementia.
• For information and advice on Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia call the Alzheimer's Society national helpline on 0845 300 0336.
• Our website address is http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/