Drug aids Alzheimer patients ‘in minutes’

By Mithran Samuel on January 10, 2008 in Community Care

The Alzheimer’s Society has called for more research into a drug, etanercept, which has shown promise in improving the condition of people with Alzheimer’s disease.
It emerged that one patient’s memory had improved within minutes of taking the drug, while a pilot study at the University of California last year showed an improvement of symptoms six months after treatment with etanercept.
Source: Daily Telegraph, Thursday, 10 January, page 5

Drug rationing essential for health service, MPs say

Drug rationing is essential in the NHS, a report by MPs will say today. It will also call for more appraisal of new drugs by government advisory body the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. The House of Commons health select committee said that all drugs should be given a rapid appraisal and if they clearly work and are cheap enough – no more than £20,000 spent on each patient a year – they should be provided by the NHS straight away.
More expensive medicines should go through a fuller appraisal that could take up to a year, the committee said, suggesting this may encourage drug companies to lower their prices.
Source: The Guardian, Thursday, 10 January, page 7

Teenager found dead in river was beaten at home, inquest told

A 17-year-old girl whose body was discovered in a river in 2003 ran away from home fleeing domestic violence and an arranged marriage, an inquest into her death was told yesterday.
Warrington Council senior homelessness officer Anne Marie Woods said Shafilea Ahmed told her that she was beaten by her parents and was due to be sent to Pakistan for an arranged marriage.
Shafilea parents, Iftikhar and Frazana Ahmed, who were arrested on suspicion of her murder, vehemently deny any involvement in their daughter’s disappearance or death.
Source: The Guardian, Thursday, 10 January, page 16

Family aid targeted at child carers

Councils will be urged to bid for up to £16m to help adult services work more effectively with children’s services and recognise their clients’ parenting needs, on the back of a report from the Cabinet Office’s social exclusion task force.
The report, out today, calls on agencies to “think family”, when dealing with parents who are disabled or have other needs that impact on their children.
Source: The Guardian, Thursday, 10 January, page 23