By Peter Berger
Special to Alzheimer's Weekly
Published Week of July 15 - July 21, 2007 

Exelon Patch has received its first approval in the United States as an innovative way to deliver an effective medicine for mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease patients through a skin patch instead of an oral capsule.

This new therapy is the first and only transdermal treatment for this degenerative condition affecting millions of people in the US. Exelon Patch (rivastigmine transdermal system) offers significant benefits to patients in terms of their memory and overall functioning.

Exelon Patch maintains steady drug levels in the bloodstream, improving tolerability and allowing more patients to receive therapeutic doses than capsules. It is applied to the back, chest or upper arm, and provides smooth and continuous delivery of medication through the skin over 24 hours.

You can request an information package on this new medication at the www.Exelonpatch.com website.

Gastrointestinal side effects are commonly seen with this class of drugs called cholinesterase inhibitors. The recommended dose of Exelon Patch greatly reduces these side effects, with three times fewer reports of nausea and vomiting than with the capsule form of the drug.

“Exelon Patch represents a significant advance in the treatment of this debilitating disease,” said George Grossberg, MD, Director of Geriatric Psychiatry, St. Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri. “The unique delivery system helps both the patient and the caregiver by providing an easy way to manage their therapy. The patch provides a visual reassurance for the caregiver that the patient is receiving their medication and helps the patient stay engaged in their daily lives.”

Exelon Patch is expected to be available in US pharmacies soon.

The patch was preferred to capsules by 70% of caregivers as a method of drug delivery according to clinical study data, because it helped them follow the treatment schedule, interfered less with their daily life and was easier to use overall than the oral medication.

The approval of Exelon Patch is based on results from the international IDEAL (Investigation of transDermal Exelon in ALzheimer’s disease) clinical trial, involving nearly 1,200 patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease. Exelon Patch showed similar efficacy to the highest doses of Exelon capsules and the recommended dose (9.5 mg/24 hours) was generally well tolerated by patients.

“Innovation isn’t just about developing new compounds, but also about meeting therapeutic needs by taking existing knowledge and applying it in new ways,” said James Shannon, MD, Global Head of Development at Novartis Pharma AG. “Exelon Patch addresses an important medical need by delivering a proven drug in an entirely new form that meets the needs of patients and their caregivers.”

The patch promises to be of help to a lot of patients and caregivers. Approximately 18 million people worldwide have Alzheimer’s disease. In the US, more than five million people suffer from Alzheimer’s disease and almost 10 million people provide care for someone living with dementia, most of which is related to Alzheimer’s disease.

Some Side Effects

In a clinical trial, the most commonly observed adverse events were nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Therefore, weight should be monitored during Exelon Patch therapy.

As with other cholinomimetics, caution is recommended in patients with sick sinus syndrome, conduction defects, gastroduodenal ulcerative conditions (including those predisposed by concomitant medications), asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, urinary obstruction, and seizures. For full prescribing information go to http://www.exelonpatch.com/.

More Information

The Exelon Patch is made by Novartis Pharmaceuticals in East Hanover, New Jersey, whose stated goal is to discover, develop and successfully market innovative products to treat patients, ease suffering and enhance the quality of life. More information on Novartis is available at http://www.novartis.com/.