NICE opens up early Alzheimer's treatment

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has reversed itself on early Alzheimer's treatment, opening the door for broader use of drugs from Eisai, Shire and Novartis.

Sometimes the U.K. cost-effectiveness watchdog changes its mind, much to the joy of drugmakers (not to mention patients). The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has reversed itself on early Alzheimer's treatment, opening the door for broader use of drugs from Eisai, Shire and Novartis.

Previously, the agency had limited use of Aricept, marketed by Eisai and Pfizer, as well as Shire's Reminyl and Novartis' Exelon, saying the National Health Service should only pay for the drugs in patients with moderate-to-severe Alzheimer's disease. That decision spawned much protest, as so many of NICE's limitations do.

But in this case at least, the agency decided to let doctors prescribe the drugs for patients with milder forms of the disease. Alzheimer's Society expert Clive Ballard says in a statement that the availability of treatment may prompt doctors to diagnose Alzheimer's earlier and patients to see their doctors if they're worried about cognitive declin