Novartis’ Exelon ‘can improve memory in brain injury patients’

A new study has found that rivastigmine, the Novartis drug marketed as Exelon in many countries, may be able to help improve the memory of people who have suffered traumatic brain injuries.

The research, published in the latest issue of Neurology, an academic journal, revealed that attention and verbal memory test scores were “significantly” improved for patients taking rivastigmine instead of the placebo.

Rivastigmine is thought to enhance the properties of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that is often found in depleted levels among Alzheimer’s patients, for example. In one of the trials, 30 per cent of patients receiving the Novartis drug were able to remember five or more additional words – three times more than those taking the placebo.

However, the results of the study show that rivastigmine was less effective in treating patients with less severe memory loss. Jonathan M Silver, the study’s lead author, said this could be because severe memory loss is associated with a “significant” depletion in cholinergic activity, a factor which may affect the action of the drug.

He remarked: “With an estimated 1.5 million people suffering from traumatic brain injury each year in the United States, rivastigmine shows promising results for these patients with moderate to severe memory loss.”

Dr Silver concluded by saying that more research would be needed to accurately define which groups can benefit best from rivastigmine therapy.