Discontinuation Rate of Newly Prescribed Donepezil in Alzheimer's Disease Patients in Asia
Kee Hyung Park, YoungSoon Yang, Christopher Chen, Yong S. Shim, Jacqueline C. Dominguez, Chan‐Nyoung Lee, Kyunghun Kang, Han Jo Kim, Seul‐Ki Jeong, Jee Hyang Jeong, Zhen Hong, Soo Jin Yoon, Zhenxin Zhang, Eun‐Joo Kim, Jae‐Won Jang, Yansheng Li, Yun Xu, Yu‐Te Lin, Qiumin Qu, Chaur‐Jong Hu, Chih‐Ho Chou, Dongsheng Fan, Nagaendran Kandiah, Yuan‐Han Yang, Chi Ieong Lau, Leung‐Wing Chu, Huali Wang, San Jung, Seong Hye Choi, SangYun Kim
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The rate of donepezil discontinuation and the underlying reasons for discontinuation in Asian patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) are currently unknown. We aimed to determine the treatment discontinuation rates in AD patients who had newly been prescribed donepezil in routine clinical practice in Asia. METHODS: This 1-year observational study involved 38 institutions in seven Asian countries, and it evaluated 398 participants aged 50-90 years with a diagnosis of probable AD and on newly prescribed donepezil monotherapy. The primary endpoint was the rate of donepezil discontinuation over 1 year. Secondary endpoints included the reason for discontinuation, treatment duration, changes in cognitive function over the 1-year study period, and compliance as assessed using a clinician rating scale (CRS) and visual analog scale (VAS). RESULTS: <0.001). Treatment compliance at 1 year was 96.8% (306/316) on the CRS and 92.6±14.1% (mean±standard deviation) on the VAS. CONCLUSIONS: In patients on newly prescribed donepezil, the primary reason for discontinuation was an adverse event. Cognitive assessments revealed no significant worsening at 1 year, indicating that continuous donepezil treatment contributes to the maintenance of cognitive function.