New patch formulation of Alzheimer's drug brought to market in Canada

From the Canadian Press:
A new treatment option for Alzheimer's patients - the first licensed skin patch - could make life easier for both some people with the disease and their caregivers, experts say.

Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc. announced Tuesday it was bringing to the Canadian market a once-a-day skin patch formulation of its existing drug Exelon.

Exelon - its generic name is rivastigmine - currently is administered in the form of capsules which must be taken twice a day. Novartis said both the once-a-day formulation and the fact it is administered via a patch will help reduce the risk of confusion over whether the medication had been taken or not. ...more