Use of a rivastigmine transdermic patch in Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease dementia

Abstract

Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease dementia are becoming a public health issue. Given the therapeutic pitfalls in the elderly, there is a need of effective therapies. Rivastigmine, a cholinesterase inhibitor, emerges as an important agent in the symptomatic treatment of dementia. The efficacy of this drug has been shown in several studies, being now included in the guidelines for dementia management. The new matrix rivastigmine patch represents a step forward in managing the elderly patient with dementia. The IDEAL (Investigation of Transdermal Exelon in Alzheimer’s disease) study demonstrates the superiority of the transdermal rivastigmine patch over capsules, proving an increased tolerability and compliance for the 9.5 mg/24 h rivastigmine patch in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. The transdermal patch with rivastigmine may offer additional therapeutic benefits and may prove to be the best delivery system for this drug to treat Alzheimer’s disease. The benefits of rivastigmine in dementia associated with Parkinson’s disease have been shown by a smaller study, using the oral formula, but a study using rivastigmine patch is still lacking. The new technological developments in drug delivery may change our view in managing patients, improving their adherence to therapy and better results.

Keywords

• alzeimer’s disease
• parkinson’s disease dementia
• rivastigmine
• transdermal patch.