NICE disappoints in ruling on Alzheimer's

The ruling by the UK's National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease has been met with mixed feelings by pharmaceutical companies and patients alike. Alzheimer Europe, the Luxembourg-based campaign group described the NICE initiative as "discriminatory" whilst welcoming the partial reversal of an earlier policy, which had ruled out the use of three drugs: (Aricept) donepezil, rivastigmine and galantamine. A fourth drug, memantine remains off the National Health Service's list of approved drugs, because the NICE does not consider the medical benefits are sufficent to warrant the cost.

The most controversial part of the NICE's ruling, presented on January 23 in the form of an Appraisal Consultation Document, is that neither early nor later stage sufferers of Alzheimer's disease will be offered the drugs. Alzheimer Europe, in a statement, expressed concern that: "this decision will discriminate against people with Alzheimer's disease in the UK , by refusing them treatment available to patients in other European countries."

Swiss-based pharmaceutical major Novartis described the NICE announcement as "a significant step forward from the preliminary guidance issued in March 2005." However, the firm expressed "concerns and disappointment on the denial of treatment for patients with mild Alzheimer's disease."