Effects of washout and dose-escalation periods on the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of galantamine in patients previously treated with donepezil: Ongoing clinical trials

With the increasing number of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEIs) bein g marketed for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD), physicians will n eed protocols for discontinuing one AChEI; and initiating another ("switchi ng"). Three clinical trials have been designed to provide data that will as sist in the determination of the optimal conditions for switching patients from donepezil (the most widely prescribed AChEI) to galantamine (the most recently approved AChEI). The main objective of these studies is to investi gate the effects of different washout periods (0 to 7 days) and dose-escala tion schedules (fixed, fast vs slow) on the efficacy, safety, and tolerabil ity of galantamine in patients with AD who were previously taking donepezil . The duration of the trials ranges from 12 to 52 weeks, and the last trial is expected to end in May 2002. No conclusions can yet be drawn from these ongoing trials, but the results should be helpful in establishing guidelin es for physicians to use when switching patients with AD from donepezil to galantamine.