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In the literature…

A 24-Week Open-Label Extension Study of Memantine in Moderate to Severe Alzheimer's Disease
Arch Neurol. 2006;63:49-54 Barry Reisberg, MD; Rachelle Doody, MD, PhD; Albrecht Stöffler, MD; Frederick Schmitt, PhD; Steven Ferris, PhD; Hans Jörg Möbius, MD, PhD
Behavioral Effects of Memantine in Alzheimer disease patients receiving donepezil treatment
Neurology 2006;67:57-63
Jeffrey L. Cummings, MD, Eugene Schneider, MD, Pierre N. Tariot, MD, Stephen M. Graham, PhD, for the Memantine Study Group

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Safe with Excellent Tolerability

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NAMENDA has been used by over 2 million patients worldwide⁴

Excellent safety and tolerability^2,4

Low discontinuation first-line and in combination

First-line NAMENDA showed no significant difference in dropout rate due to adverse events compared with placebo (10.1% vs 11.5%) or when used in combination with donepezil (7.4% vs 12.4%)⁴
Significantly more NAMENDA+donepezil patients completed the trial, compared with patients taking donepezil+placebo (P=0.01)^4,9

NAMENDA is safe and well tolerated by patients taking multiple medications²

Low potential for drug-drug interactions²

NAMENDA produces minimal inhibition of CYP450 enzymes*; no pharmacokinetic interactions with drugs metabolized by these enzymes are expected²

Safety in polypharmacy with drugs that display cholinergic side effects^2,21

Many elderly patients are taking multiple drugs, including many with cholinergic side effects²⁶
- In a study of patients with dementia, other medications being taken that had cholinergic side effects included antidepressants, antihistamines, anticonvulsants, antidiarrheals, antivertigo agents, migraine medications, muscle relaxants, and painkillers²⁶
The coadministration of AChEIs with drugs that have cholinergic side effects may compromise the efficacy of both agents^26,27
NAMENDA is not associated with cholinergic side effects²

Minimal risk of the unpleasant GI side effects often associated with AChEIs⁶

Many elderly patients have concomitant GI conditions or are taking medications for GI problems¹⁰
Low incidence of GI side effects vs placebo: constipation (5.3% vs 3.0%), diarrhea (4.3% vs 4.6%), vomiting (3.0% vs 2.3%), and nausea (2.3% vs 2.5%)^2,4

*The clinical significance of in vitro data is unknown.

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Important Safety Information

NAMENDA^® (memantine HCl) is indicated for the treatment of moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease. NAMENDA has been used by more than 2 million people worldwide.

NAMENDA is contraindicated in patients with known hypersensitivity to memantine HCl or any excipients used in the formulation. The most common adverse events reported with NAMENDA vs placebo (≥5% and higher than placebo) were dizziness, confusion, headache, and constipation. In patients with severe renal impairment, the dosage should be reduced.

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Related Articles

In the literature…

Safe with Excellent Tolerability

NAMENDA has been used by over 2 million patients worldwide4

Excellent safety and tolerability2,4

Low discontinuation first-line and in combination

NAMENDA is safe and well tolerated by patients taking multiple medications2

Low potential for drug-drug interactions2

Safety in polypharmacy with drugs that display cholinergic side effects2,21

Minimal risk of the unpleasant GI side effects often associated with AChEIs6