Donepezil

Donepezil drug is indicated in the symptomatic treatment of mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease (AD).

• acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors increase the concentration of acetylcholine at sites of neurotransmission
• donepezil is a specific and reversible inhibitor of AChE, licensed in the UK at a dosage of 5 mg/day and 10 mg/day. It is licensed for the symptomatic treatment of people with mild to moderately severe Alzheimer's dementia

See NICE guidance for use in treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

Notes:

• donepezil improves cognitive outcomes in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). However evidence suggests that in patients with AD, donepezil has no significant beneficial effect for treating agitation, a common associated symptom (2)

Reference:

1. (1) NICE (November 2006).Donepezil, galantamine, rivastigmine (review) and memantine for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease
2. (2) Howard RJ et al, Donepezil for the treatment of agitation in Alzheimer's disease. N Engl J Med. 2007 Oct 4; 357(14):1382-92.