Print

Print


http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/120323.php

EMEA Releases Guidelines On Development Of Medicines For Alzheimer's Disease And Parkinson's Disease
Main Category: Alzheimer's / Dementia
Also Included In: Parkinson's Disease
Article Date: 05 Sep 2008 - 2:00 PDT

 email to a friend    printer friendly    view / write opinions    rate article

Ads by Google
________________________________
Alzheimer's Research
 Learn About Participating In A Trial to Slow AD Progression
 www.ICARAstudy.com

New Alzheimer's Treatment
 First successes with innovative stem cell therapy in Europe.
 www.xcell-center.com/Alzheimer

Current Article Ratings: 

Patient / Public:  3 (1 votes) 
Health Professional:  
 
Article Opinions:  0 posts 
The European Medicines Agency (EMEA) has released two guidelines for 
companies developing medicines for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease 
and other dementias, and for Parkinson's disease, in the light of recent 
scientific progress in the understanding of these diseases and 
conditions. 

Advances in clinical science, physiopathology and molecular biology have 
stimulated new interest in the development of more effective symptomatic 
or disease-modifying treatments, i.e. early treatments that may prevent 
the emergence or slow down the progression of disease. The guidelines 
were developed in response to the need of companies developing these new 
types of medicines for guidance on appropriate clinical-trial designs. 

As life expectancy increases, neurodegenerative diseases and dementia 
will affect more and more people over the coming decades, and these 
guidelines are expected to help improve the availability of medicines to 
treat such diseases and conditions. The guidelines will come into effect 
on 1 February 2009. 

Scientific guidelines, which help companies to submit valid 
marketing-authorisation applications for their medicines, are prepared 
by the EMEA's expert bodies, in this case the Committee for Medicinal 
Products for Human Use (CHMP) and its relevant working parties, in 
consultation with the Agency's stakeholders. They reflect an approach to 
specific scientific issues that is harmonised across the European Union 
(EU), and are based on the most up-to-date scientific knowledge. 
However, the recommendations they contain are not binding, and sponsors 
may deviate from them, provided they can substantiate their approach. 

The therapeutic area of neurodegenerative diseases is part of the 
mandatory scope of the centralised procedure for the authorisation of 
medicines. This means that, in the EU, all applications for marketing 
authorisation for new medicines in this area have to be submitted to the 
EMEA. The other therapeutic areas in the mandatory scope are: HIV/Aids, 
cancer, diabetes, autoimmune diseases and other immune dysfunctions, and 
viral diseases. 

Notes 

1. The 'Guideline on medicinal products for the treatment of Alzheimer's 
disease and other dementias' (CPMP/EWP/553/95 Rev.1) can be found here. The 'Guideline on 
clinical investigation of medicinal products in the treatment of 
Parkinson's disease' (CHMP/563/95 Rev.1) can be found here. 

2. These guidelines are substantially revised versions of earlier EMEA 
guidelines, and have been updated to reflect new scientific 
understanding of Alzheimer's disease, dementia and Parkinson's disease. 

3. The guidelines were released for public consultation in July 2007. 
Comments received during the consultation phase will be published on the 
EMEA website shortly. 

4. This press release, together with other information on the work of
the EMEA, can be found on the EMEA website: http://www.emea.europa.eu

EMEA  

----------------------------------------------------------------------
To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask]
In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn