VIENNA, Austria, July 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Elan Corporation, plc (NYSE: ELN) and Wyeth (NYSE: WYE) presented information this week at the Alzheimer Association 2009 International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease (ICAD 2009) from seven posters and one podium presentation about the growing burden of care and costs associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and how to measure them. This information sheds light on the impact of AD, which, as the population ages, will place a significant and increasing burden on patients, families, and caregivers, as well as public health systems worldwide. The costs of Alzheimer's disease are difficult to estimate, highlighting the importance of the information presented.
"These analyses provide important information - in some cases for the first time - about the associations between AD and the health and wellbeing of patients, healthcare costs, and the burden on caregivers," said study investigator, Daniel Murman, M.D., M.S., Associate Professor and Director, Memory Disorders and Behavior Neurology Program with the Department of Neurological Sciences at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. "This information shows that not only are AD patients more likely than their peers to suffer from other serious conditions, but their needed care takes a tremendous toll on their caregivers. All of this means increased burden and financial costs to individuals and the healthcare system."
About the Poster Presentations
Poster #P3-221: Predicting Costs of Care for Unique Dependence Levels in Patients with AD (Murman DL, et al.)
A new, longitudinal, non-interventional study of 133 Alzheimer's disease patients/caregiver pairs showed an exponential relationship between total costs and AD dependence levels, with costs increasing significantly with increasing dependence. In this study, dependence level provided a useful method to estimate unique levels of care and associated costs that can be used in pharmacoeconomic evaluations of new treatments for AD patients in a transparent and meaningful manner.
Poster #P1-180: Relationship Between Patient Dependence and Caregiver Burden in Alzheimer's Disease (Lacey LA, et al.)
A new, longitudinal, non-interventional study that included 155 Alzheimer's disease patients/caregiver pairs across the U.S. and Europe assessed the relationship of AD patients' dependence on caregiver burden, connecting the impact of worsening AD severity on family members or other caregivers. This is the first study exploring the relationship between dependence and caregiver-reported burden via the Caregiver Reaction Assessment, a tool that captures both negative and positive reactions of giving care in an informal setting. Specifically, this poster presented an interim analysis that found caregivers reported experiencing increased disruption in daily schedules, greater lack of family support, and more time devoted to being a caregiver as AD patients' dependence increased.
"Given these recent findings, it's vital for continued research, measurement, and documentation of the growing burden of care and cost of Alzheimer's disease to adequately provide support for caregivers and assess patient healthcare needs," said Dr. Dale P. Schenk, Executive Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer of Elan. "Elan and Wyeth, through the Alzheimer's Immunotherapy Program (AIP), are committed to advancing research in all aspects of the disease."
Poster #P2-071: Increased Risk of Serious Comorbidities in a Cohort of AD Patients Compared to a Similar Non-AD Cohort (Malone D, et al.)
A retrospective data analysis showed that AD patients appear to have a higher prevalence of certain serious conditions compared to patients without AD.
