§ Dr. CableTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of(a) the social costs and benefits of Aricept for Alzheimer's patients and (b) the savings in respite and other long-term care resulting from the use of Aricept. [84274]
§ Mr. HuttonThe Department has made no such assessment.
The Health Technology Assessment (HTA) programme is considering a research project looking at "new drugs for dementia". Full proposals will be considered at a specially convened meeting in June which will include Professor Tom Walley (Chair of the HTA pharmaceutical Panel) and Professor Kent Woods (Director of HTA). Due account will be taken of the findings of the AD 2000 project, a large trial organised through West Midlands National Health Service Regional Office, which has included consideration of the social costs and benefits of Aricept for Alzheimer's disease and the savings in respite and other long-term care resulting in the use of Aricept.