Namenda

The approval of Namenda^® Tablets by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in October 2003 was an important step in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease and a significant milestone for Forest Laboratories.

Namenda is the first and only NMDA-receptor antagonist approved to treat moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease. Of the 5.1 million people that have Alzheimer's disease, the majority are in the moderate to severe stages. Namenda works in an entirely different way than currently available medications, and provides benefits when used alone, or in combination with an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor (AChEI).

Safety Information

NAMENDA (memantine HCl) is contraindicated in patients with known hypersensitivity to memantine HCl or any excipients used in the formulation. The most common adverse events reported with NAMENDA vs placebo (≥ 5% and higher than placebo) were dizziness, confusion, headache, and constipation. In patients with severe renal impairment, the dosage should be reduced.