Legal blow for Alzheimer's patients (UK)

[Gloria]

http://www.thisislincolnshire.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=206844&command=displayContent&sourceNode=156277&contentPK=18082080&folderPk=87018&pNodeId=201408

Legal blow for Alzheimer's patients

01:13 - 11 August 2007

Campaigners battling for Alzheimer's sufferers to have access to anti-dementia drugs on the NHS in the early stages of the disease have suffered a High Court blow.

Although a judge ordered the Government's medicines watchdog to amend "discriminatory" guidance on drug treatment for Alzheimer's, the ruling did not pave the way for funding for all patients with "mild" symptoms.


(SNIP)

Alzheimer's Society chief executive Neil Hunt said patients would now have "much fairer access to Alzheimer's drug treatments". However, he added: "But the ruling still falls short of ensuring that everyone with Alzheimer's disease can have access to the drugs."

Last year Nice, backed by an appeal panel, decided that three acetyl cholinesterase inhibitors (AChEIs) - Aricept, Reminyl and Exelon - should no longer be made available on the NHS in the early stages of Alzheimer's. It recommended use of the drugs for "moderate" Alzheimer's, but not for mild cases.

It decided that the drugs, which cost about £2.50 per person a day, were not cost effective in relation to the benefits they offered to such sufferers and their carers.

[MannyGoldstein]

1. My Understanding Is That Alzheimer's Can't Be Diagnosed Until It's Fairly Full Blown

This might have something to do with the ruling.

In general, the UK is very good about following evidence to guide treatment. I doubt if they'd withold these drugs from a given population unless no good evidence existed that they're helpful in that population.

[JVS]

2. SWEEET!

[JVS]

3. Oh, I totally misread the subject line

[peekaloo]

4. ...

:rofl:

[JVS]

5. did it trick you too?

[peekaloo]

6. .

I was thinking about moving my dad to the UK.

Going out on a rail........

:dunce:

[JVS]

7. I guess coked up people without memories are not considered desirable to the UK

BIGOTS!