Experimental Therapeutic Shows Promise for People with Moderately Severe to Severe Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's Association
Wednesday, 12 July 2000

New findings reported today at World Alzheimer Congress 2000 suggest that memantine, a drug that acts on a key central nervous system receptor, may help slow the progression of moderately severe to severe Alzheimer's disease.

Barry Reisberg, M.D. and Steven Ferris, Ph..D. at New York University School of Medicine, New York , N.Y., directed a study involving more than 30 centers throughout the United States. In this study, more than 250 volunteers who have moderately severe to severe Alzheimer's disease participated. The double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted over six months.

"This has been an exciting and encouraging study on many fronts," says Barry Reisberg, M.D., professor of psychiatry and clinical director of the Aging and Dementia Research Center at New York University School of Medicine. "Not only was this the perhaps the first study to find cognitive and functional treatment effects people with this severity of disease, but our research provided further evidence that modulation of the NMDA receptor, which is involved in memory and neuronal death, is an approach worthy of continued research."

Current treatments, acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for people with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease. Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors are designed to increase the amount of acetylcholine, a substance that transmits nerve impulses, in the brain.

Dr. Reisberg and colleagues examined a different chemical and structural system, the NMDA receptor, involved in the memory process.

Memantine is a drug that works by affecting the NMDA receptor. The researchers found in their study of memantine that after six months, both the placebo group and the treatment group declined. However, after several assessments to evaluate cognitive function, activities of daily living and behavioral change, the researchers found that the treatment group performed significantly better than the placebo group in cognition and daily life activities, without changing behavioral symptoms.

"We are not able to reverse the disease process but our studies showed that we can reduce the amount of clinical decline over a six month period," added Reisberg. "Memantine proved to be safe and well tolerated by the patients with advanced Alzheimer's disease."

Memantine currently is available in Germany for similar indications.

"Alzheimer's disease is a growing global crisis and we need to attack this disease from all directions," says Bill Thies, Ph.D., vice president of medical and scientific affairs for the Alzheimer's Association (U.S.A.). "We are pleased to see research that may lead to effective medications for people with moderately severe to severe Alzheimer's disease since currently, no treatment options have label indications for people in those stages."

For more information, or to contact Alzheimer's Association, see their website at: www.alz.org