Ask the Expert Q & A: Namenda Medication
By Amy Natt, MS, CMC, CSA
Q: I recently went to the pharmacy to fill my wife’s prescription for Namenda, and I was told that I would no longer be able to get the dose she has been taking. She has done well on this medication, and I don’t want her to stop taking it. What can I do?
A: The discontinuation or shortage of Namenda is something many consumers are facing. Pharmacies are no longer able to get the 5 mg and 10 mg dosage, and the new recommended target dose of 28 mg is in short supply due to the increased demand for it. Here is some background for those not familiar with the medication:
Namenda (generic: memantine hydrochloride) is available in tablet and oral solutions. The medication is often prescribed to help reduce the actions of chemicals in the brain that may contribute to the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease.
Forest Laboratories announced earlier in the year that they would discontinue the sale of memantine (Namenda) 5-mg and 10-mg tablets effective Aug. 15, in favor of focusing on sales of its once-daily, extended-release formulation (Namenda XR) in the treatment of moderate to severe Alzheimer’s disease. They extended the discontinuation to fall of this year when they realized that discontinuing the lower dosages would cause a shortage of the 28 mg once-daily dosage. Forest Laboratories states the following reason for the change:
“Namenda XR offers important benefits, including convenient, once-daily dosing, which is particularly meaningful for this patient population and their caregivers. Our decision to focus on Namenda XR is supported by these benefits as well as the positive feedback we’ve received from physicians and caregivers,” says Dr. Marco Taglietti, chief medical officer and executive vice-president for drug development and research of Forest Laboratories. “The conversion also allows us to streamline our resources and explore innovative new compounds that may be effective for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, including the fixed-dose combination of Namenda XR and Donepezil, which is under development.”
In a more recent development, a company named Actavis picked up Namenda when it bought Forest Laboratories Inc., a $28 billion acquisition that closed in July. The latest patent on Namenda XR, the slow-release version of the Alzheimer’s pill, extends through September 2029. Actavis hasn’t been able to meet the demand for the drug after a higher-than-expected number of patients switched to the slow-release version. Actavis’s patents for the 5-mg and 10-mg doses of Namenda expire in October 2015, and some generic drug manufacturers can start selling competitor products three months before that.
This means that consumers, like yourself, are being told that the dose they currently use is not available either from discontinuation or shortage. If your wife is still on the 10-mg dose, you will most likely be able to get that until the supply runs out, but you will eventually need to talk to your doctor about switching to the extended-release dose. If she is taking the 28-mg dosage already, you may need to talk to your physician about getting a back-up prescription for the 10-mg, twice-a-day dose that can be used until the 28-mg dose becomes available.
In talking with several pharmacies, they can still get the 10-mg dose. It is the 28-mg, extended-release dose that they are receiving only a sporadic supply. Find out what your pharmacy has in stock or will be able to order If this does not match your current prescription dose, call your physician to discuss your options.