In a head-to-head study, Aricept was better tolerated than Exelon by patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease, allowing more patients to benefit from treatment, according to researchers.

While patients taking Aricept and Exelon showed similar cognitive improvement, the researchers said almost twice as many patients were able to remain at maximum effective daily dose of Aricept due to fewer treatment side effects.

"It is important to use effective medications that are well tolerated and easy to use, such as Aricept, so that Alzheimer's patients can remain on therapy and sustain the maximum benefit possible over time," said Dr. David Wilkinson, director of the Memory Assessment and Research Centre at Moorgreen Hospital in Southampton, England.

Reporting on their study of 111 Alzheimer patients in the International Journal of Clinical Practice, the researchers said nearly three times as many patients discontinued treatment with Exelon because of side effects as the number who discontinued taking taking Aricept.

Almost four times as many patients in the Exelon group reported nausea, and three times as many reported vomiting, the researchers added.

The study is the second reported recently to compare the benefits of Aricept.with another approved cholinesterase inhibitor.

Earlier this year, Aricept was reported to have demonstrated greater improvements in cognition and daily living activities than Reminyl (see earlier Alzheimer Week story).

Other sources: International Journal of Clinical Practice