BRIEF—Aricept approved for full spectrum of Alzheimer's in China

Tokyo’s Eisai has successfully broadened the Chinese label for Alzheimer’s med Aricept (donepezil hydrochloride) to cover more severe forms of the disease.

The approval was based on data from the Phase III Study 3391, which met its primary endpoint, showing a statistically significant improvement in the test group according to a commonly-used measure of Alzheimer's.

The firm says around six million people suffer from Alzheimer's disease in China, which has a large and ageing population, meaning the number of patients is expected to greatly increase.

The drug is an established treatment for mild to severe Alzheimer's in many countries.