EU Approval for Exelon

I have writen about patches in the past - both pro and con. With the EU approval of Exelon, caregivers and patients with Alzheimer's have reason to cheer for better medication adherence. I can only imagine how difficult it must be to care for a parent or spouse with Alzheimer's - not to mention their medication regime. Hopefully the Exelon patch will have a successful launch and adoption in the EU.

The Exelon patch was approved in the US in July and some expect sales to reach the $1B mark.

Here is a blurb from 9/24 Nursing In Practice website, no author provided:

The European Commission has on today approved the use of a transdermal patch to deliver medicine to patients with mild-to-moderately severe Alzheimer's disease. The patch is the first type of transdermal treatment for Alzheimer's disease and is applied once a day to the back, chest or upper arm of patients.

Experts say the patch improves compliance for Alzheimer's patients and also reduces side-effects.

"All these benefits offer the potential for improved outcomes in patients," said James Shannon, global head of development at Novartis Pharma.

"Exelon patch represents a therapeutic innovation that is designed specifically to meet the needs of patients, caregivers and physicians involved with this devastating disease."

Bruno Dubois, Professor of Neurology in Paris, France, agrees that the patch provides vital reassurance that patients have "taken" their medicine, adding: "Just having to apply a patch can help reduce the burden of family life for people with Alzheimer's disease and their families."

In a survey of Alzheimer's caregivers, 70% said they preferred the patch to oral medicines as it helped them follow their treatment schedules and was easier to use.

"People with Alzheimer's disease and their caregivers welcome every new therapy for the disease," said Mark Wortmann, executive director of Alzheimer's Disease International. "I am pleased that the patch offers a new approach to treatment."