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NEUROLOGY 2007;69:S4-S9
© 2007 American Academy of Neurology

Rationale for transdermal drug administration in Alzheimer disease

Wolfgang Oertel, MD, Joel S. Ross, MD, Karla Eggert, MD and Georg Adler, MD

From Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany (Prof. Oertel and Dr. Eggert), The Memory Enhancement Center, Long Branch, New Jersey (Dr. Ross), and Institut für Studien zur Psychischen Gesundheit (ISPG), Mannheim, Germany (Prof. Adler).

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Prof. Wolfgang Oertel, Department of Neurology, Philipps-University Marburg, Rudolf-Bultmann Str. 8, D 35033 Marburg, Germany oertelw{at}med.uni-marburg.de

Transdermal patches are used for the treatment of various diseases including neurologic and psychiatric disorders such as Parkinson disease (PD), major depression, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. They are believed to offer many advantages over conventional oral therapies. By providing smoother, continuous drug delivery and steadier plasma levels, patches may reduce the incidence of side effects, thus making optimal therapeutic doses easier to attain and potentially improving treatment efficacy and compliance. Drug delivery systems such as patches that are more patient- and caregiver-friendly may enable patients to continue treatment for longer periods and to attain greater, more sustained treatment benefits. To date, approved therapies for Alzheimer disease (AD), including cholinesterase inhibitors and memantine, are orally administered. Potential advantages associated with patches provide a therapeutic rationale to offer additional benefits in AD patients. Rivastigmine is well suited to patch administration because it is a small, potent molecule that is both lipophilic and hydrophilic. A rivastigmine patch has been developed and may provide a promising new approach to dementia therapy.

Disclosure: The sponsor has provided Prof. Oertel with grant support, and personal honoraria. Dr. Ross, Dr. Eggert, and Prof. Adler have received personal honoraria from the sponsor during their careers. This supplement has been made possible by an educational grant by Novartis Pharma AG, Basel, Switzerland.

Neurology® supplements are not peer-reviewed. Information contained in Neurology® supplements represents the opinions of the authors and is not endorsed by nor does it reflect the views of the American Academy of Neurology, Editorial Board, Editor-in-Chief, or Associate Editors of Neurology®.




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J. Cummings, G. Lefevre, G. Small, and S. Appel-Dingemanse
Pharmacokinetic rationale for the rivastigmine patch
Neurology, July 24, 2007; 69(4_suppl_1): S10 - S13.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


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