Don't Stop Dementia Drugs
Drug battle goes to the Court of Appeal
A BATTLE over the funding for
Alzheimer's drugs on the NHS went to
the Court of Appeal today.
Drugs company Eisai is fighting a decision
to restrict access to Aricept - one
of the acetyle cholinesterase inhibitor
(AChEI) class of drugs - to patients in the
later stages of the disease.
The National Institute for Health and
Clinical Excellence (Nice) ruled the drug
was not cost effective for patients in the
early stages of Alzheimer's - a decision
which was upheld by the High Court last
year.
Nice decided that the drugs, which cost
about £2.50 a day, did not make enough
of a difference to recommend them for
all patients. But Eisai says its did not follow
a fair and transparent process in
reaching its decision.
Yesterday, a panel of three appeal
judges were told that nearly 100,000 patients
with Alzheimer's disease (AD) will
be refused the drugs following the Nice
decision.
David Pannick QC, representing Eisai,
said the guidance would have "a very
substantial effect upon the availability
and the potential duration of treatment"
with the drugs.
He said: "The evidence suggests that,
when the guidance takes full effect (for
no mild AD sufferer will have current
treatment discontinued as a result of the
guidance), annually 96,600 patients with
mild AD will be refused treatment with
AChEIs that would have been made
available."
Ken Clasper, 60, from Chester-le-Street,
has been able to lead a near-normal life
after being given a similar anti-dementia
drug called Exelon at a relatively early
stage of his illness.
Last night, he said: "I think it is a brilliant
idea to challenge Nice in the courts
over these new dementia drugs.
"If I had been able to get Exelon even
earlier, I might have been able to keep
working and keep paying taxes."
Eisai's appeal is expected to last two
days and judgement will be reserved
until next month.
8:51am Tuesday 15th April 2008
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