Parkinson's News:

FDA Advisory Panel Says Exelon Is Safe for Treating Dementia in Parkinson's Patients

Exelon, a drug currently used to treat Alzheimer's Disease, is also safe for treating of mild to moderate dementia associated with Parkinson's disease, according to a U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory panel.

The FDA's Peripheral and Central Nervous System Drugs Advisory Committee unanimously voted to approve Exelon, developed by Novartis, for use in treating worsening memory and other mental problems in Parkinson's patients.

While the final decision is up to the FDA, the agency generally follows the advice of its panels of outside experts.

Some 1.5 million Americans have been diagnosed with Parkinson's, and about 40 percent of patients with Parkinson's disease also develop dementia,

The risk for developing dementia among Parkinson's patients is approximately four to six times higher than among seniors without this disease.

In March 2006, Exelon was granted marketing authorization for the treatment of dementia associated with Parkinson's disease in all 25 European Union countries.