THERAPEUTIC ADVANCES - DONEPEZIL FOR THE TREATMENT OF ALZHEIMERS-DISEASE

Until recently, few drugs have been available for the treatment of Alz heimer's disease. The first such drug to be launched in the U.K. was t he acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, donepezil. The limited published da ta on donepezil shows only modest cognitive benefit in patients with A lzheimer's disease. The cost of diagnosis and drug treatment, the dist ressing nature of the disease and the limited evidence available, pose difficult decisions for the introduction of new drugs and the managem ent of this condition.