Nothing NICE in denying dementia drugs to those in need - Burstow

10.33.07am UTC (GMT +0000) Mon 20th Nov 2006

The Liberal Democrat MP for Sutton and Cheam, Paul Burstow, joined protesters on a march in Sutton organised by the Alzheimer's Society to demand fair treatment for dementia suffers. The protests was sparked by the recent decision of the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) to restrict the availability of drugs for Alzheimer's suffers.

Research published recently by Mr Burstow revealed that the implementation of NICE guidelines would mean that Alzheimer's sufferers across the UK will no longer receive drugs to treat their illness.

In January, the National Institute of Heath and Clinical Excellence (NICE) published draft guidance which recommended that drug treatment for Alzheimer's sufferers should be restricted to those in the moderate stages of the disease only. A previous appeal against this decision led by the Alzheimer's Society was unsuccessful. On Friday, two of the drug companies involved in creating the anti-dementia drugs which NICE ruled against announced plans to apply for a judicial review of the guidance.

Paul Burstow conducted a survey of all English Primary Care Trusts over the summer. The survey results revealed that only half of the PCTs surveyed supported the prescription of Ebixa - a drug designed to treat the most severe cases of Alzheimer's, even before the appeal decision was made public. 87% of trusts indicated that they would implement the more restrictive NICE guidance in full, meaning that Alzheimers sufferers would be denied access to drugs which could effectively treat their illness.

Commenting after the march, Paul Burstow said:

"Up and down the country people are rightly protesting against this appalling decision by NICE. By restricting access to drugs which can change people's lives for the better NICE are condemning dementia suffers and their families to a miserable wait. Only when they have deteriorated will the drugs be provided."

"For the cost of ?2.50 a day these drugs can make a real difference to dementia suffers and their families. That difference is priceless."

"The Government says it supports early detection and treatment of diseases. Yet it supports this NICE guidance which will force those disagnosed with early stage dementia to sit and wait for their condition to worsen and deny treatment altogether to those suffering from the severest form of the illness."

"Dementia suffers deserve fair treatment and they deserve it now."

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

1) The National Institute for Clinical and Health Excellence (NICE) appraisal for drug treatments recommends three anti-cholinesterase drugs (Aricept, Exelon, Reminyl) only be funded for people in the moderate stages. Ebixa will not be funded.

2) Ebixa is the only drug designed to treat the extreme behavioural symptoms of late dementia.

3) The survey was sent out to all English Primary Care Trusts (at the time 309) and received replies from 162 PCTs in all (52%).

4) 153 PCTS responded to a question concerning the local guidelines for the prescription of Ebixa. 84 of these PCTs indicated that they did not possess any guidelines for the drug or had made the decision not to support Ebixa in their area (55%).

(5) The average dementia spend by PCT was just 16.7% compared to cancer costs