TY - JOUR
T1 - Preventing Alzheimer's disease
T2 - Separating fact from fiction
AU - Sano, Mary
AU - Grossman, Hillel
AU - Van Dyk, Kathleen
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors’ work is supported by AG05138, AG10483 and AG15922. Dr Mary Sano has been a consultant to the following companies, which are involved in drug development for Alzheimer’s disease: Aventis, Bayer, Forest, Glaxo-SmithKline, Janssen, Ortho-McNeil, Novartis, Pfizer, Bristol-Meyers Squibb, Takeda, Voyager Pharmaceuticals, Medication and Neurochem. These consultancies have been in reference to clinical trial design. Dr Hillel Grossman has been a consultant for the following companies, which are involved in drug development for Alzheimer’s disease: Forest Industries and Dainippon America. These consultancies have been in reference to clinical trial design and clinical application. Additionally, Dr Grossman has received research funding from Eisai Pharmaceuticals, Humanetics and Elan. Kathleen van Dyk has no conflicts of interest that are directly relevant to the content of this review.
PY - 2008
Y1 - 2008
N2 - Alzheimer's disease is an ever-increasing health concern among the aging population, and as we research new and existing treatments for this disease we begin to uncover possibilities for its prevention. Observational studies and animal models have provided promising findings and generated excitement, but placebo-controlled clinical trials are required to demonstrate true efficacy for these treatments. In the past two decades, clinical trials have led to the approval of symptomatic treatments for Alzheimer's disease, including cholinesterase inhibitors and, more recently, an NMDA receptor antagonist. Clinical trials have also examined antioxidants, NSAIDs, hormone replacement, nutritional supplements and nonpharmacological interventions for the treatment and prevention of Alzheimer's disease. While the results of many of these trials have been disappointing, new mechanisms targeting the hallmark pathology of Alzheimer's disease are currently under investigation, including immunotherapy and secretase modulation, targeted at reducing the amyloid burden, for which we await the results. We review the evidence from completed trials, support for ongoing studies and propose directions for future research.
AB - Alzheimer's disease is an ever-increasing health concern among the aging population, and as we research new and existing treatments for this disease we begin to uncover possibilities for its prevention. Observational studies and animal models have provided promising findings and generated excitement, but placebo-controlled clinical trials are required to demonstrate true efficacy for these treatments. In the past two decades, clinical trials have led to the approval of symptomatic treatments for Alzheimer's disease, including cholinesterase inhibitors and, more recently, an NMDA receptor antagonist. Clinical trials have also examined antioxidants, NSAIDs, hormone replacement, nutritional supplements and nonpharmacological interventions for the treatment and prevention of Alzheimer's disease. While the results of many of these trials have been disappointing, new mechanisms targeting the hallmark pathology of Alzheimer's disease are currently under investigation, including immunotherapy and secretase modulation, targeted at reducing the amyloid burden, for which we await the results. We review the evidence from completed trials, support for ongoing studies and propose directions for future research.
KW - Acetylcysteine, therapeutic use
KW - Alzheimer's disease vaccine, therapeutic use
KW - Alzheimer's disease, prevention
KW - Alzheimer's disease, treatment
KW - Antidementias, therapeutic use
KW - Antihypertensives, therapeutic use
KW - Antioxidants, therapeutic use
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=53549109159&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.2165/00023210-200822110-00001
DO - 10.2165/00023210-200822110-00001
M3 - Review article
C2 - 18840031
AN - SCOPUS:53549109159
SN - 1172-7047
VL - 22
SP - 887
EP - 902
JO - CNS Drugs
JF - CNS Drugs
IS - 11
ER -