While current drugs cannot cure Alzheimer's disease, two US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved treatments address the underlying biology. Other medicines can help decrease symptoms, such as memory loss and confusion.
- FDA-approved drugs for Alzheimer's
- Overview of treatments
- Participate in clinical studies.
FDA-approved drugs for Alzheimer's
The FDA has approved drugs that fall into two categories: drugs that alter the progression of the disease in people living with early-onset Alzheimer's disease, and drugs that can temporarily relieve some symptoms of Alzheimer's dementia.
When considering any treatment, it is important to speak with a healthcare professional to determine if it is appropriate. A physician experienced in the use of these types of medications should monitor individuals taking them and ensure that recommended guidelines are strictly adhered to.
Drugs that alter disease progression
Drugs in this category slow disease progression by targeting the underlying biology of the disease process. Its goal is to slow the decline in memory and thinking, as well as function, in people living with Alzheimer's disease.
Anti-amyloid treatments work by binding to and removing beta-amyloid, a protein that accumulates in plaques in the brain. Each works differently and targets beta-amyloid at a different stage of plaque formation.
Aducanumab (Aduhelm™)
aducanumabis an intravenous (IV) infusion therapy of anti-amyloid antibodies approved for early Alzheimer's disease, including people living with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or mild dementia due to Alzheimer's disease.
Aducanumab was the first therapy to show that removal of beta-amyloid from the brain reduces cognitive and functional decline in people living with early-onset Alzheimer's.
- Aducanumab is indicated for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.
- The drug has been studied in people living with early Alzheimer's disease, which includes people withmild cognitive impairment (MCI)or mild dementia due to Alzheimer's disease, which also show evidence of amyloid plaque buildup in the brain. Treatment with aducanumab may be appropriate for people at the stage of disease studied in clinical trials.
- There are no safety or efficacy data on the initiation of treatment in earlier or later stages of the disease than those studied.
- Some clinical trial participants who received aducanumab showed a reduction in cognitive impairment observed through measures of cognition and function.
- Examples of cognition measures include:
- Memory.
- Guide.
- Examples of functional measures include:
- Realization of personal finances.
- Do household chores like cleaning.
The most common side effects include amyloid-related imaging abnormalities (ARIA), headache, and falls. Another potentially serious side effect is an allergic reaction. ARIA is a common side effect that usually does not cause symptoms, but can be serious. It is usually a temporary swelling in areas of the brain that usually goes away over time. Some people may also have small bleeding points in or on the surface of the brain with the swelling, although most people with swelling in areas of the brain have no symptoms. Some may experience ARIA symptoms such as headache, dizziness, nausea, confusion, and vision changes.
Lecanemab (Leqembi™)
Lecanemab (Leqembi™)is an anti-amyloid antibody intravenous (IV) infusion therapy approved for early-onset Alzheimer's disease with confirmed elevated beta-amyloid.
This medication is approved for people with early Alzheimer's disease (mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or mild dementia due to Alzheimer's disease). These people should also have confirmation of elevated beta-amyloid plaques in the brain.
The most frequently reported serious side effects were infusion-related reactions and amyloid-related imaging abnormalities (ARIA), a common side effect that usually causes no symptoms but can be serious. It is usually a temporary swelling in areas of the brain. It usually resolves over time.
Drugs that treat symptoms
Cognitive symptoms (memory and thinking)
As Alzheimer's disease progresses, brain cells die and connections between cells are lost, making cognitive symptoms worse. While these drugs won't stop the damage Alzheimer's causes to brain cells, they can help decrease or stabilize symptoms for a limited time by affecting certain chemicals involved in the transmission of messages between nerve cells in the brain.
The following medications are prescribed to treat symptoms related to memory and thinking.
Cholinesterase inhibitors (Aricept®, Exelon®, Razadyne®)
Cholinesterase inhibitors (KOH-luh-NES-ter-ays) are prescribed to treat symptoms related to memory, thinking, language, judgment, and other thought processes. These drugs prevent the breakdown of acetylcholine (a-SEA-tyl-KOHlean), an important chemical messenger for memory and learning. These drugs support communication between nerve cells.
The most commonly prescribed cholinesterase inhibitors are:
- Donepezilo (Aricept®): Approved to treat all stages of Alzheimer's disease.
- Rivastigmine (Exelon®): Approved for mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease, as well as mild to moderate dementia associated with Parkinson's disease.
- Galantamine (Razadyne®): Approved for mild to moderate stages of Alzheimer's disease.
While generally well tolerated, if side effects do occur, they typically include nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, and increased bowel frequency.
Glutamate Regulators (Namenda®)
Glutamate regulators are prescribed to improve memory, attention, reason, language, and the ability to perform simple tasks. This type of medication works by regulating the activity of glutamate, a different chemical messenger that helps the brain process information. This drug is known as:
- Memantine (Namenda®):approved for moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease.
It can cause side effects including headache, constipation, confusion, and dizziness.
Cholinesterase Inhibitor + Glutamate Regulator (Namzeric®)
This type of medication is a combination of a cholinesterase inhibitor and a glutamate regulator.
- Donepezilo y memantina (Namzaric®):approved for moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease.
Possible side effects include nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, increased frequency of bowel movements, headache, constipation, confusion, and dizziness.
Non-cognitive symptoms (behavioral and psychological symptoms)
Alzheimer's disease affects more than just memory and thinking. A person's quality of life can be affected by a variety of behavioral and psychological symptoms that accompany dementia, including sleep disturbances, agitation, hallucinations, and delusions. Some medications focus on treating these non-cognitive symptoms for a while, although it is important to trynon-pharmacological strategies to control behaviorsbefore adding medications.
At this time, the FDA has approved a drug to treat insomnia symptoms that has been tested in people living with dementia, but trials testing drugs that treat other, non-cognitive symptoms are ongoing.
Orexin receptor antagonist (Belsomra®)
Prescribed to treat insomnia, this drug inhibits the activity of orexin, a type of neurotransmitter involved in the sleep-wake cycle:
- Suvorexant (Belsomra®):approved for the treatment of insomnia and shown in clinical trials to be effective for people living with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease.
Possible side effects include, but are not limited to: risk of impaired alertness and motor coordination (including impaired driving), worsening of depression or suicidal thoughts, complex sleep behaviors (such as sleepwalking and sleep driving). ), sleep paralysis and impaired respiratory function.
drug safety
Before starting a new medication, make sure your doctor and pharmacist are aware of all medications, dietary supplements, or other products currently in use (including alternative and over-the-counter preparations). This is important to ensure that certain medications do not interact with each other and cause side effects.
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Participate in clinical studies.
Scientists have made remarkable progress in understanding how Alzheimer's affects the brain.
Ultimately, the path to effective therapies is through clinical trials. learn more aboutAlzheimer's Association TrialMatch®, a free clinical trial comparison service, and how you can participate in vital Alzheimer's disease research. Recruiting and retaining trial participants is now the biggest hurdle, other than funding, to developing the next generation of Alzheimer's treatments. People living with dementia, caregivers, and healthy volunteers are required to participate in clinical trials focused on Alzheimer's disease and other dementias.
Overview of treatments
Alter the progression of the disease
| Name (generic/brand) | Indicated for | common side effects |
|---|---|---|
| aducanumab Aduhelm™ | Alzheimer's disease (MCI or mild dementia) | ARIA, headache and falls |
| Lecanemab This Team™ | Alzheimer's disease (MCI or mild dementia) | ARIA, infusion related reactions |
Treats cognitive symptoms (memory and thinking)
| Name (generic/brand) | Indicated for | common side effects |
|---|---|---|
| donepezilo Aricept® | Mild to severe dementia due to Alzheimer's disease | Nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, muscle cramps, and increased frequency of bowel movements. |
| Razadyne® Galantamine | Mild to moderate dementia due to Alzheimer's disease | Nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite and increased frequency of bowel movements. |
| Rivastigmine Exelon® | Mild to moderate dementia due to Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease | Nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite and increased frequency of bowel movements. |
| Memantina Namenda® | Moderate to severe dementia due to Alzheimer's disease | Headache, constipation, confusion and dizziness. |
| Memantina + Donepezil Namzaric® | Moderate to severe dementia due to Alzheimer's disease | Nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, increased bowel movements, headache, constipation, confusion, and dizziness. |
Treats non-cognitive symptoms (behavioral and psychological)
| Name (generic/brand) | Indicated for | common side effects |
|---|---|---|
| Suvorexant Belsomra® | Insomnia, which has been shown to be effective in people living with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease | Impaired attention and motor coordination, worsening depression or suicidal thoughts, complex sleep behaviors, sleep paralysis, impaired respiratory function. |