FDA Approves First Treatment for Parkinson’s Disease Dementia

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced its approval of the drug Exelon as the first medication shown to be effective for the treatment of mild to moderate dementia (chronic loss or impairment of intellectual capacity) associated with Parkinson's disease.

"It's been recognized for almost a decade that the dementia of patients with Parkinson's disease differs from the dementia of patients with Alzheimer's," said Dr. Steven Galson, Director of FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research in an FDA press release, "but until now, there has been no treatment that has been shown to be effective specifically for the dementia associated with Parkinson's Disease. Today's approval of Exelon helps to fill this medical need."

Exelon had previously been approved by the FDA for treatment of dementia caused by Alzheimer's.

According to FDA estimates, up to 0.5 percent of people over 65 years of age are affected by Parkinson's-related dementia.

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