In yet another example of drug companies profiting over questionable pharmaceuticals The New York Times reports today on research in the New England Journal of Medicine that finds that commonly-prescribed drugs for Alzheimer's patients have not been approved by the FDA for the disease. Also, black box warnings on drug packaging bluntly state: "Elderly patients with dementia-related psychosis treated with atypical anti-psychotic drugs are at an increased risk of death compared to placebo."
Zyprexafrom Eli Lilly; Seroquel from AstraZeneca; and Risperdalfrom Janssen Pharmaceutical are big money makers and are prescribed to 2.5 million people annually and result in over $2 billion in sales. Medicaid mostly covers the cost of the drug regimes.
Anti-psychotics have become mainstays of long term care facilities but can induce Parkinson's like symptoms in patients along with confusion and sleepiness.
