Abstract
We analyzed pharmacological means which are currently in use of Alzheimer’s disease and those which may soon come in use.
Current treatments include the acetylcholine esterase inhibitors (eg, donepezil hydrochloride, galantamine hydrobromide and rivastigmine tartrate), which stabilize the neurotransmitter acetylcholine in the synaptic cleft, and the Nmethyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist memantine, which counteracts the deleterious effects of high brain concentrations of the excitatory amino acid, glutamate.
Unfortunately current symptomatic treatments of AD are of limited benefi t, as they are not directed at the underlying biological basis of the disease.
Many new drugs are currently in clinical trials. The experiments with drugs targeting Aβ pathology, targeting tau pathology or targeting oxidation and infl ammation will may ultimately lead to tailored treatment strategies.
It is hoped that new drugs will enter the market within the following years to effectively treat patients with Alzheimer’s disease.