Pioneering Alzheimer's drug is launched

From the archive, first published Friday 22nd Sep 2000.

A NEW drug to combat Alzheimer's disease, derived from the common daffodil, pioneered in Southampton has been launched today.

Reminyl has a dual effect on the brain which is different from other Alzheimer's drugs currently available in the UK.

The disease causes the degeneration of brain cells which release a chemical, acetylcholine, that is important to memory.

Reminyl both preserves levels of acetylcholine and also acts in a way which may help to increase production of the chemical.

Dr David Wilkinson, consultant in old age psychiatry at Moorgreen Hospital, Southampton, was involved in the UK trials of Reminyl.

The drug, which consists of the compound galantamine, is a man-made copy of a natural chemical originally extracted from daffodil bulbs.

He said: "Galantamine is a compound which occurs naturally in the snowdrop and daffodil.

"It's not practical to grow large numbers of plants so the compound was refined from daffodil and a synthetic version developed from it.

"The clinical trial results are echoed by my own personal experience and show that treatment with Reminyl can make a real impact on all the key aspects of Alzheimer's disease."

Clinical trials have shown that treatment with the drug can help patients carry out normal activities such as washing, dressing and feeding themselves.

Behavioural disturbances associated with Alzheimer's, such as aggression, delusions, hallucinations and loss of inhibition, are also delayed. Reminyl is jointly marketed in the UK by Shire Pharmaceuticals of Andover and the Belgiant company Janssen-Cilaj.

Converted for the new archive on 25 January 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.

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