NICE = National Institute for Clinical Excellence. In the UK, this regulatory body advises the NHS on the suitability of treatments. Today, an uproar ensued about a recommendation to withdraw their backing from three medications, used in the early or middle stages of the disease. These are Aricept, Gamanyl and Exelon (all registered trademarks and brandnames). I want to stress that anyone already taking the medicines will continue to be able to get them on prescription. New patients will no longer be started on the therapies.
The role of NICE is to weigh up costs and benefits. It has decided that the high costs (£2.50 or $4 per pill) are not adequately balanced by clinical benefit. Those already taking the tablet (and those caring for them) are outraged, as they have seen a clear clinical benefit from their treatment.
The three medicines mentioned above do not cure Alzheimers, nor do they stop its progression. They merely delay the unstoppable deterioration associated with this form of dementia.
A report in a British tabloid newspaper that a miracle cure has been found for Alzheimers, now available over-the-counter from pharmacies can safely be described as garbage. I get very upset by charlatans claiming miracle cures for diseases like cancer and Alzheimers, which on further investigation are totally baseless.
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I tend to agree with you Guido. I am not sure I know any chemicals or drugs that cures anyway... the best cure is love and is less expensive... however, it has been proved scientifically that after a certain age socialising is cognitively demanding, so, one needs strength in every situation. Sometimes, by believing that a drug has a curable effect, it might promote one's strength for survival?? NICE is a nice name for another Institution/Association who have voted itself as being NICE and says it has the capacity to know what is best for every one. Like all the organisations that created themselves, or like all the legal drugs given to you, they are what you believe they are, but your belief does not make them to be what you (you as in general every one, not just you) belief they are. Basically, what's the truth?? The truth is that lonely people die before those who have huge loving families, that there are only 2% of rich people who suffer from depressing feelings compared to XX% in the low classes, and that some of the richest guies in the world today are those making our medications and to remain rich, they need patients.
ReplyDeleteValerie