National backing for Echo campaign

10:57am Wednesday 28th February 2007

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THE Northern Echo is urging readers to back a fighting fund set up by the Alzheimer's Society to win justice for dementia sufferers.

Last October, The Northern Echo launched its Don't Stop Dementia Drugs campaign.

The aim was to support the Alzheimer's Society in its bid to overturn restrictions on a range of anti-dementia drugs.

Despite the opposition of sufferers, their families and virtually all of their consultants, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) decided to restrict access to three drugs - Aricept, Exelon and Reminyl - drugs that were once available to people in the early stages of dementia.

Now patients can only be prescribed the drug when their dementia progresses.

Since the campaign's launch, the Echo has passed on petitions and emails from more than 3,000 readers calling on the Department of Health to restore the drugs.

The Alzheimer's Society has set up a fighting fund to raise £30,000 to cover the legal costs of mounting a High Court challenge to the Nice decision.

Drug companies Pfizer and Eisai are making a separate challenge.

Mr Neil Hunt, chief executive of the Alzheimer's Society, said: "The Nice decision ignores the benefits these treatments offer legions of unpaid carers and the millions of pounds they save the country every year."

Yesterday, four months after the Echo began its campaign, The Daily Mail announced it was also backing the Alzheimer's Society's push to restore access to anti-dementia drugs.

Last night, a spokeswoman for the society said: "We are thrilled so many people in the North-East and nationally are recognising the importance of securing access to these treatments."

Ken Clasper, a dementia sufferer from Chester-le-Street who has benefited from being on one of the recently-restricted drugs, said, last night: "It is brilliant that the Daily Mail has jumped on the bandwagon started by the Echo. It has really become a national campaign now."

Anyone wishing to make a donation to the Alzheimer's Society fighting fund should visit www.alzheimer's.org.uk or ring the hotline on 0845-30-60-898 during office hours.