Drug Targets Advanced Alzheimer's Patients

Researchers say a drug slows memory loss and physical decline in advanced Alzheimer's disease patients. And a separate study finds that, when given with another drug, some patients even improve.

A six-month test of the drug memantine involved 32 medical centers nationwide and enrolled 252 patients with moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease. The study found that the drug slowed mental and physical deterioration.

The study, led by New York University researcher Dr. Barry Reisberg, is published in Thursday's issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

"These patients seem to be declining much less, about half as much as ordinarily expected, over a six-month period," Reisberg said. "This medication will slow down the otherwise inexorable progress of this disease, and it is remarkably free of side effects. These are very impressive results. It looks like this drug really will have an impact on this disease."

Other researchers combined memantine with a U.S.-approved drug for mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease, Aricept. These patients had improvements in memory and thinking. The study will be presented this week at a meeting of the American Academy of Neurology.

Memantine, manufactured by Merz Pharmaceuticals in Frankfurt, Germany, is approved in Europe. It is still being reviewed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia affecting people over age 65. Some 4 million Americans have the mind-robbing disease, and it is the major reason why people are institutionalized in the United States.