Eleven patients die in Aricept trial

Reuters.com: "Eleven patients have died while taking Alzheimer's disease drug Aricept during a clinical trial, Japan's Eisai Co., which makes the medicine, said on Thursday..."

"The drug, which treats mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease, was being tested in patients with vascular dementia...."

"The deaths were among 648 patients who received Aricept once daily for 24 weeks. That compared with no deaths in the 326 patients receiving placebos, Eisai said in a release."