The European Commission has approved a new skin patch to treat Alzheimer's disease. The United States Food and Drug Administration last July also approved the patch. Pharmaceutical group Novartis AG reported last Monday that its Exelon skin patch provides a continuous dose of the drug rivastigmine. The patch is applied once a day to the back, chest, or upper arm.

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	''If a patient has hallucinations, that is a strong indication that the patient will respond more to the rivastigmine.''

Rivastigmine is a cholinergic agent developed by Novartis for mild to moderate dementia associated with Alzheimer's. In 2006, it was the first globally approved product for the treatment of mild to moderate dementia associated with Parkinson's disease. It has been available in liquid or capsule form since 1997. If taken by mouth, it is usually taken twice a day with meals in the morning and evening. It has shown significant treatment effects on the cognitive, social, and behavioral patterns associated with Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's dementias. It has shown effects which lead the drug maker to believe that patients may be allowed to remain independent for longer and to "be themselves" for a longer period of time. Marked effects have been produced in patients who have a more aggressive form of either disease. If a patient has hallucinations, that is a strong indication that the patient will respond more to the rivastigmine. Although rivastigmine may improve the ability to think and remember or slow the loss of these abilities, it is not a permanent cure for Alzheimer's disease.

In general, the drug inhibits the breakdown of acetylcholine. This is a chemical in the brain that is important for thinking and learning and memory. This compound was the first neurotransmitter to be identified and is one of many found in the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and the somatic nervous system (SNS).

Novartis says that Alzheimer's affects 18 million people worldwide and is the third leading cause of death behind cardiovascular disease and cancer. This figure is expected to grow to more than 106 million by the year 2050. Alzheimer's disease is a progressive, irreversible brain disorder with no known cause or cure. It attacks and slowly kills the minds of its victims. Memory loss, confusion, impaired judgment, personality changes, disorientation, and loss of language skills are some of its symptoms. It is always fatal and is the most common form of irreversible dementia to date.

As the relative of an Alzheimer's patient, I am going to get my family together to discuss this option. I have an aunt with this awful disease, and it kills me to hear her ask the same questions over and over or to call me by my deceased mother's name. She asks where my grandma is. My grandma, who is her sister, passed away 17 years ago. But they were so tight, so I can understand why she goes back to that time period a lot. This new patch gives new hope to our family and to others who are going through the same trials.

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