Sometime soon, there will be a skin patch available for treating the dementia that comes with Alzheimer’s disease. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved the patch form of Exelon (generic name: rivastigmine). This is good news for the more than four million Americans who are losing memories and cognitive abilities to the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.
Exelon is already available in capsule form, but many patients have complained of gastrointestinal side effects like severe nausea. In patch form, the drug will enter the bloodstream directly and bypass the gastrointestinal system entirely. Exelon inhibits the breakdown of a neurotransmitter known as acetylcholine, which is essential for memory and learning.
Exelon won’t only be used for treating mild to moderate dementia in Alzheimer’s disease patients; the FDA has also approved the drug for mild to moderate dementia caused by Parkinson’s disease. The patch will release a regular and continuous dose of medication throughout the day — hopefully this will be useful for patients who don’t have someone helping them remember to take their pills.
Right now, there isn’t a set date for the official release of Exelon in the United States, but drug maker Novartis is confident that the prescription patch will be available soon. The capsule form is available now, but other oral Alzheimer’s medications come with less severe side effects. Just like the capsule, the patch will be available in different dosages.
With any memory medication, supervision is critical. The patient will need to meet with a memory specialist every few months to make sure the medication is working effectively.
My grandmother is currently participating in a test for the Exelon patch. We were very excited that her doctor invited her to the test! Even if the medication doesn’t help her memory and cognitive abilities, I hope it helps many people down the line. Participating in medical testing is a good way to have access to cutting-edge treatments long before they are available to the public.