Authors' objectives:

Given the limitations of the data available in the public domain, the study's scope was limited to a critical appraisal of the evidence of Tacrine's efficacy in AD.

Authors' results and conclusions: 1. Tacrine was shown to have modest efficacy in mild-to-moderate AD, with small but clinically unimportant improvements in cognitive status in 3 trials. The remaining 7 clinical trials demonstrated no differences in the outcome measures related to cognition. 2. There are challenges presented by the interpretation of clinical trial results in terms of Tacrine's efficacy in this patient population. There is significant variability in the degree to which the outcome measurement tools used in the Tacrine trials have been assessed for validity, reliability and responsiveness; and very few scales have been developed specifically for AD. Clearly, more research and development is needed in the area of measurement scales suitable for the evaluation of treatment in AD. 3. The modest efficacy of this drug must be balanced by: a) the frequency of Tacrine's adverse effects (e.g. hepatotoxicity, gastrointestinal events) in study subjects who, apart from suffering from AD, were healthy with no other medical conditions and free from potentially interfering/ interacting medications; and, b) the inability to identify initially which subjects may respond to Tacrine without experiencing side effects. 4. Given the small proportion of study subjects who were able to complete the trials reviewed, the effectiveness of Tacrine within the overall cohort of subjects eligible for trial entry has not been established. The authors were unable to predict the potential effectiveness of Tacrine in the population of AD subjects for whom physicians may consider this drug.

Authors' recommendations: Tacrine was shown to have modest efficacy in mild-to-moderate AD.

Authors' methods: Overview

Project Status: Completed

URL for project: https://www.ccohta.ca/pubs/english/tacrine/index.html

Year Published: 1997

English language abstract: An English language summary is available

Publication Type: Not Assigned

Country: Canada

Organisation Name: Canadian Coordinating Office for Health Technology Assessment

Contact Address: 600-865 Carling Avenue, Ottawa, ON K1S 5S8 Canada. Tel: +1 613 226 2553, Fax: +1 613 226 5392;

Contact Name: requests@cadth.ca

Contact Email: requests@cadth.ca

Copyright: Canadian Coordinating Office for Health Technology Assessment