�21/07/08 - Drug succeeds in Alzheimer's trial

The study, published in the Lancet, investigated the effects of dimebon, with a placebo control, on 183 patients with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s disease. Patients given the drug experienced significant improvement in cognition, function and behaviour.

Dimebon was previously available in as an antihistamine, but was withdrawn for commercial reasons. Side-effects were minimal.

The drug is not currently available in the UK.

Rebecca Wood, Chief Executive of the Alzheimer’s Research Trust, said: "This research suggests that dimebon could improve the lives of many people living with the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. It demonstrates increasing improvements in Alzheimer’s patients, which no currently approved drug can do. The recent announcement of an additional phase III trial is encouraging. More research on this scale is desperately needed if we are to offer hope to the 700,000 people in the who live with Alzheimer’s and other dementias.”�

www.alzheimers-research.org.uk �

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