US approves first Skin Patch to treat Alzheimer and Parkinsonâ??s

July 10: US Food and Drug Administration has approved Exelon Patch, the first skin patch for treating mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease as well as mild to moderate Parkinson’s disease dementia, according to Swiss pharmaceuticals company Novartis.

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Though Exelon drug is already in use for treating both the disease in the form of Capsule, but it has some gastrointestinal side effects like diarrhea, appetite loss and weight loss if it is given more than its recommended dose. Many times the patients tolerates in taking its recommended dose too as it shows nausea and vomiting.

Exelon, approved in 2000 for treating Alzheimer and 2006 for treating Parkinson became very effective in treating the above disease but showed many times gastrointestinal side effects. So the scientists have to look for another option.

Skin patching option suited the best after IDEAL testing. IDEAL (Investigation of Transdermal Exelon in ALzheimer's disease) is a clinical trial that involved nearly 1,200 patients of mild to moderate Alzheimer disease. All the patients go under patching trial and the result was amazing. Exelon, Skin patching showed three times less gastrointestinal side effects including nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

“In this new therapy, the recommended dose (9.5 m.g. in 24 hours) is applied through a transdermal (adhesive patch that maintains steady bloodstream levels) patch either on the back, chest or upper arm of the patient. The drug continuously dissolves in the blood of the patients and the results become as effective as it effects in capsule version” says Novartis.

According to Novartis, “this method extends the drug's tolerability and its effectiveness over a wider range of patients, some of whom may not be able to take the oral capsule version because of the increased prevalence of gastrointestinal side effects often seen with cholinesterase inhibitors”.

This method is also useful in another way as it interfere less daily life. “Novartis not only develop the new drugs but also initiated the innovative way of treating the disease”, Novartis says.

The company also warned to the doctors and patients as “if the patient has a history of so-called "sick sinus syndrome," ulcers, asthma and other chronic lung diseases, seizures, or urinary obstruction, it should be used cautiously.”

According to Novartis, the product should be available in US pharmacies soon as it got the approval. It is still waiting for approval in the European Union as it was submitted for approval in the late last year.

There are approximately 18 million people are surviving from Alzheimer across the world that is expected to reach 7.7 million by 2030. Parkinson’s is also a neuro disease that affects about 1.5 million people in the US, 20 per cent of whom have Parkinson's dementia, a distinct disorder that reduces memory, decision making, and attention while US alone have more than 5 million Alzheimer survivors. It is a progressive degenerative neuro disease impairs memory, thinking and behaviour, robbing people of their ability to carry on with their everyday lives. It affects mostly people over 65 years old.