Effects of γ-secretase inhibitors in Alzheimer: A 2007 update

A major unmet need for the treatment of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the development of therapeutics that slow the rate of neurodegeneration and progression of clinical symptoms. Reduction in the synthesis of the peptide amyloid beta using inhibitors of the enzyme γ-secretase represents one strategy for such disease modification. We review briefly the origin of the amyloid hypothesis, and progress to date in the clinical development of a γ-secretase inhibitor.