Alzheimer's drug a waste of money, says study
24 -Jun-2004

The world's most prescribed drug for Alzheimer's patients is neither medically beneficial nor cost effective, suggests a landmark research study.

That news has health officials in British Columbia crowing since the province was one of only three in Canada that refused to publicly fund the popular, but controversial, medication Aricept, manufactured by pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Inc.

B.C. Health Minister Colin Hansen said the three-year British study, published in Saturday's edition of medical journal the Lancet, proves that the province's reluctance to pay for the medication has been justified.

The study of 565 patients found that after three years, 58 per cent of those taking Aricept found their disability got worse, compared with 59 per cent of those taking a placebo. Use of the drug didn't reduce the likelihood of patients needing extended care, the authors said.

"Just because the federal government might approve a drug as being safe, doesn't mean it is effective, or that it justifies us putting a whole bunch of taxpayers' money into funding it," Hansen said Friday. Although Health Canada has approved it, British Columbia, Newfoundland and Prince Edward Island have refused to cover Aricept, which can cost $5 a day.

But Dr. Howard Feldman, head of neurology at the University of B.C., said the study "has severe flaws" and its findings are significantly different than others which have shown the drug to be effective