Alzheimer's Drug Treatment
What drugs are used to treat Alzheimer's Symptoms?
Drugs used to treat people with Alzheimer's fall into two broad categories:
Drugs to treat cognitive symptoms, such as memory problems and other mental deficits of Alzheimer's;
In later stages of the disease, it may be necessary to use drugs to treat specific behavioral symptoms that do not respond to non-pharmacological behavioral-management approaches. These drugs might include a variety of types of drugs broadly categorized as anti-agitation
drugs.
What research is being conducted to develop treatments for Alzheimer's Disease?
Scientists are hard at work developing new and better treatments, including some that hold promise to halt or reverse the underlying processes of the disease - something none of the existing drugs for Alzheimer's are able to do. Scientists at the Fisher Center for Alzheimer's Research are leading this battle.
Another goal of researchers at the Fisher Center for Alzheimer's Research and elsewhere is to develop better drugs that control behavioral symptoms without the strong sedating side effects of many currently used anti-agitation drugs.
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What potential new Alzheimer's drugs are being tested in clinical trials?
More than 20 potential new drugs are currently being tested in clinical trials or are awaiting approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The government requires that all new medicines undergo rigorous testing in the laboratory, first in animals and then in human volunteers, before they can be prescribed by doctors or sold in pharmacies. Once the required clinical trials are completed, companies submit an application to the FDA, the government agency responsible for the safety of foods and drugs sold in the U.S. Together with an independent panel of medical advisors, the FDA reviews the scientific data and determines whether the drug is safe and effective for people with Alzheimer's.
Click here for more information about clinical trials and access to a searchable database of trials investigating possible new therapies for Alzheimer's disease.
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What other types of Alzheimer's drugs might a person diagnosed need to take?
It's important that the person with Alzheimer's maintain the best overall health possible in spite of the disease, which includes treating any co-existing medical conditions as best possible.
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