According to a new study, thousands of people with Alzheimer's disease in the UK could benefit with the use of two key drugs.

Researchers found that memantine, and in particular donepezil could help slowdown symptoms in later stages of the disease and not just in earlier stages of the disease. The Donepezil drug is the most commonly used dementia drug in the UK but it is only approved for use for mild to moderate stages of the disease in the NHS.

The drug works by increasing the amount of a neurotransmitter involved in memory and attention in the brain.

Professor Clive Ballard, director of research for the Alzheimer's Society, which co-funded the new study, has said that there are 50,000 people in the UK using drugs for the disease, which is just 10 people of all people suffering with Alzheimer's.

"This research - if acted upon - has the potential to change the lives of up to 450,000 more people today and many more in the future. It could mean many more people being able to stay on the drugs or accessing the drugs," he said.