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The hydrochloride salt of a piperidine derivative with neurocognitive-enhancing activity. Donepezil (Aricept) reversibly inhibits acetylcholinesterase, thereby blocking the hydrolysis of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine and, consequently, increasing its activity. This agent may improve neurocognitive function in Alzheimer's disease, reduce sedation associated with opioid treatment of cancer pain, and improve neurocognitive function in patients who have received radiation therapy for primary brain tumors or brain metastases. Donepezil (Aricept) is the most prescribed Alzheimer's disease therapy worldwide.

Major Alzheimer’s test for highest resolution clinical PET camera in the world

The University of Manchester's Wolfson Molecular Imaging Centre will carry out its first positron emission tomography (PET) brain scan on a patient volunteer this Friday (24 November 2006) at 10.00.

From The University of Manchester 23 Nov 2006

Furore over who gets Alzheimer's drug in the UK

A furore has erupted in Britain over a decision by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE), not to recommend the use of an Alzheimer's drug for newly diagnosed patients.

20 Nov 2006

Brits unable to access Alzheimer's drugs

It appears that people in Britain suffering from Alzheimer's disease will be unlikely to benefit from the use of four drugs designed to treat the the degenerative brain disease.

16 Oct 2006

New 'patch' drug therapy for Alzheimer's has fewer side effects

Alzheimer's, is the most common form of dementia and affects as many as 15 million people worldwide.

20 Jul 2006

Donepezil (Aricept) helps cognitive function in brain tumor patients after radiation

A drug that is marketed to treat Alzheimer's disease also improves cognitive function, mood and quality of life in brain tumor patients following radiation therapy, according to a research team at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.

21 Mar 2006

Aricept, Razadyne and Exelon can help people with mild Alzheimer's

The Alzheimer's drugs Aricept, Razadyne and Exelon can lead to small improvements in mental functioning and the ability to carry out everyday activities in people with mild to moderate forms of the disease, according to a new review of recent studies.

25 Jan 2006

Concern over decision that new Alzheimer drugs only available for advanced disease

The recommendation by the National Institute of Clinical Evidence (NICE), that Alzheimer's drugs should be used in a minority of people with the degenerative brain disease, has created both rage and disbelief from charities and drug companies alike.

24 Jan 2006

UK medical watchdog wants more proof on value of Alzheimer's drugs

In the UK the country's watchdog for cost-effectiveness in medical treatments, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), has asked drug makers for more evidence about the benefits of their Alzheimer's medicines.

21 Jul 2005

Experimental drug works best in combination with older remedy for Alzheimer's disease and other dementias

An experimental drug combined with an already-popular memory-enhancing compound may further delay memory loss in patients with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, Johns Hopkins University scientists, in collaboration with researchers from University of North Carolina, have found.

9 Jun 2005

Decision to cut Alzheimer's drugs challenged

Four major drugs, the only drugs licensed in Britain for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease and available on the NHS may be withdrawn. Aricept, Exelon, Reminyl and Ebixa are the only drugs licensed in Britain for the treatment of the disease.

14 Mar 2005

Trial of new type of drug that attacks amyloid

Neuroscientists at the Farber Institute for Neurosciences at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia will begin a clinical trial testing a new type of drug that attacks amyloid, the protein substance that accumulates in the brains of Alzheimer’s disease patients.

4 Nov 2004

Warning on Alzheimer drug mix up

Janssen Pharmaceutica, manufacturer of the Alzheimer drug galantamine (Reminyl), says it has learned of 10 cases in which individuals who should have gotten Reminyl accidentally received the diabetes drug glimepiride (Amaryl).

1 Nov 2004

Drinking regular cuppas could help improve your memory

Results of laboratory tests by a team from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne found that green and black tea inhibit the activity of certain enzymes in the brain which are associated with memory.

25 Oct 2004

Researchers test whether huperzine A can effectively treat the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease

Researchers at Rush University Medical Center are testing whether huperzine A, a natural moss extract used in Chinese medicine, can effectively treat the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease.

8 Oct 2004

Study evaluated the ability of vitamin E and Aricept, to delay the progression of mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer's disease

Researchers in the neurology department in the University of Arizona College of Medicine in Tucson participated in a study that evaluated the ability of vitamin E and donepezil hydrochloride, marketed as Aricept, to delay the progression of mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer's disease.

2 Aug 2004

ARICEPT® delays the onset of Alzheimer's among people with mild cognitive impairment

ARICEPT® a popular Alzheimer's drug has been shown to delay the onset of the disease among people with mild cognitive impairment.

19 Jul 2004

People who have early stage Alzheimer's disease could be more capable of learning than previously thought

The promising studies suggest that some people with early cognitive impairment can still be taught to recall important information and to better perform daily tasks.

4 Jul 2004

Canadian Alzheimer Society responds to donepezil study

A study on the effects of donepezil on people with mild to moderate Alzheimer Disease entitled Long-term donepezil treatment in 565 patients with Alzheimer's Disease(AD2000): randomised double-blind trial appears in the June 26, 2004 issue of The Lancet.

29 Jun 2004

Alzheimer’s Society expresses concern over new study on dementia drug effectiveness, published in The Lancet

The Alzheimer’s Society has expressed serious concern at the interpretation of a new study into the effectiveness of drugs for dementia, published in The Lancet.

25 Jun 2004

Research into Chinese herbal medicine Qian Ceng Ta may help Alzheimer’s

Georgetown University Medical Center researchers today opened a new clinical trial designed to test if huperzine A, a natural product derived from a Chinese herb, can slow down or prevent cognitive decline in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s Disease (AD).

6 May 2004