Reminyl Will Receive New Name

Johnson & Johnson is renaming its Alzheimer's disease drug Reminyl (galantamine HBr). Although the company and the FDA have not agreed on the new name, the change is expected to be introduced by the end of March 2005. The decision to change Reminyl's name comes after 2 patients died when they were mistakenly given a similar-sounding drug—Amaryl (glimepiride). Amaryl (Sanofi-Aventis) is indicated for the treatment of diabetes. The deaths were caused by hypoglycemia or low blood sugar when the patients were given Amaryl.