Banned Alzheimer's drugs available TODAY thanks to Mail campaign
By Jenny Hope
Last updated at 12:22 AM on 18th January 2011Today marks the final victory for the Daily Mail’s campaign to reverse the ban on drugs for the early stages of Alzheimer’s.
Hundreds of thousands of patients could benefit after the NHS rationing body NICE confirmed a decision taken last October to allow treatment at any stage – not just when patients have moderate disease.
Previously patients had been forced to wait until their symptoms worsened before they could get medicines readily available in most other countries.
Help: Alzheimer's sufferer Derek Quinn, with wife Teresa, can now buy Aricept
The ban on three drugs Aricept, Exelon and Reminyl was universally condemned by doctors, patients and their families.
Revised guidelines will allow doctors to prescribe them to patients with mild symptoms, rather than waiting for them to deteriorate, including a new skin patch for Exelon.
The U-turn by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence means the drug Ebixa, also known as memantine, can be prescribed for the first time to severely ill patients.
A survey shows three out of five GPs are likely to recall Alzheimer’s patients with mild symptoms who were previously denied treatment for reassessment.
Around three quarters of 205 family doctors surveyed say management of the disease will change, with almost half claiming the drugs will be more widely used.
Life change: Aricept had been banned by NICE because it costs over £2.50 per day
The ban was imposed in 2007 despite a legal challenge partly funded by Daily Mail readers incensed over the limits on drugs costing just £2.50 a day.
NICE previously claimed the NHS could not afford to offer drugs to all eligible patients, but has reviewed that decision using a different computer model to assess their cost-effectiveness.
It concludes the benefits are worthwhile compared with full-time care at a cost of up to £40,000 a year.
A report by the Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry found the drugs could delay admission to care by between one and two months on average.
Andrew Chidgey, of the Alzheimer’s Society, said:‘This is a victory for people with Alzheimer’s and their carers, many of whom have been campaigning for this day for years.
'These drugs don’t work for everyone, but for some people they can radically improve their quality of life.’
Heather Roberts, 56, from Derby has Alzheimer’s and has been involved in the campaign since 2007.
She said: ‘It’s not before time. Within six months of taking Aricept my memory had improved to how it had been two years previously.’
Around 465,000 people live with Alzheimer’s in the UK and 62,000 are diagnosed each year, yet fewer than 50,000 patients are currently prescribed drugs.
The Daily Mail campaigned vigorously with the Alzheimer’s Society, celebrities and physicians.
The Alzheimer’s Society has paid tribute to Daily Mail readers, who raised £230,000 in a week towards the court battle.
Add your commentsComments (0)
No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards.
Add your comment
Tuesday, 18 January 2011
Banned Alzheimer's drugs available TODAY thanks to Mail campaign | Mail Online
via dailymail.co.uk
Flickr - projectbrainsaver
www.flickr.com
|
