Prescription & Costs

Who can prescribe Axura®?

Treatment should be initiated and supervised by a physician experienced in the diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer's dementia. Therapy should only be started if a caregiver is available who will regularly monitor drug intake by the patient. Diagnosis should be made according to current guidelines.

Are the costs for this medication justified from a pharmcoeconomic point of view?

Dementia represents a huge socioeconomic burden. 75% of dementia costs arise from patients with severe dementia. 95% of these costs are due to nursing care. A study showed that caregiver time was significantly reduced by Axura®, by as much as 52 hours per month(9). In addition, during the course of the study, only one patient from the Axura®-group was admitted to a nursing home, compared with five patients from the placebo-group. Significant reduction of total caregiver costs (- $US 824/month) and total societal costs (-$US 1090/month) indicate a clear benefit of memantine treatment from the economic point of view.