Real-life effectiveness and tolerability of the rivastigmine transdermal patch in patients with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease: the EMBRACE study.

AbstractObjective:To assess the real-life effectiveness and tolerability of the rivastigmine transdermal patch in patients with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in Canada.Research design and methods:Eighteen-month observational, prospective, multi-center, open-label study conducted on AD patients with Standardized Mini-Mental State Examination (SMMSE) score of 10–26 and Global Deterioration Scale (GDS) score of 4–6. Patients were treated with the rivastigmine transdermal patch (Exelon patch) 5 cm2 (4.6 mg/24 hours) or 10 cm2 (9.5 mg/24 hours), once daily.Main outcome measures:Primary outcome was change in SMMSE from baseline to 18 months. Secondary outcomes included change in SMMSE at 6 and 12 months and change in GDS, Assessment of Patient Ability (APA-C), Overall Patient Assessment Rating (OPAR), caregiver-reported compliance and treatment satisfaction at 6, 12, and 18 months.Results:Among the 1204 patients enrolled, 969 were included in the ITT analysis. Mean (SD) age was 80.2 (8.00) years, di...