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| |  AAN: Drug Therapy Can Treat Dementia In Patients With Cerebrovascular Disease By Jill Stein Special to DG News
PHILADELPHIA, PA -- May 10, 2001 -- Reminyl (galantamine hydrobromide) is effective for treating patients who have Alzheimer’s disease with cerebrovascular disease or probable vascular dementia, researchers announced at the 53rd Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN). Galantamine is a novel therapy with a dual mode of action that involves acetylcholinesterase inhibition and modulation of nicotinic receptors. The new findings, presented by a group from Helsinki University Central Hospital in Helsinki, Finland, showed that galantamine improved all major cognitive and noncognitive measures in patients with Alzheimer’s disease plus cerebrovascular disease and in those with probable vascular dementia. "This is the first time that a symptomatic therapeutic effect on all key areas of cognitive and noncognitive abilities has been demonstrated in this group of patients," Dr. Timo Erkinjuntti said. In the study, 592 patients were randomized to receive galantamine 24 mg/day or placebo for six months. The study’s primary outcome measures included cognition, which was measured using the cognitive subscale of the Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Scale (ADAS-cog), and global function, measured using the Clinician’s Interview-Based Impression of Change plus Caregiver Input (CIBIC-plus). The two treatment arms were similar with respect to baseline demographic and clinical characteristics. Galantamine was significantly more effective than placebo on ADAS-cog and CIBIC-plus, Dr. Erkinjuntti said. For both end points, galantamine maintained or improved baseline scores in more patients than placebo. Activities of daily living and behavior were also significantly improved at six months compared with placebo and/or baseline. Galantamine was well tolerated and evidence from a prior study suggests that a four-week dose escalation may additionally enhance the drug’s safety profile. Dr. Erkinjuntti said that new treatments that have broad clinically relevant effects, such as galantamine, may have important clinical and economic benefits, potentially decreasing the caregiver burden and postponing institutionalization.
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