Among these drugs is
tacrine (tetrahydroaminoacridine).
Tacrine is another piperidine ring containing drug used for the managent of Alzheimer's disorder [9, 10].
The current therapy for AD is based on the administration of AChE inhibitors, such as
tacrine, rivastigmine, donepezil, and galantamine [1].
Alzheimer's activists have coalesced particularly around the battle for the approval of a promising drug,
tacrine. Ageism may be a factor in the Food and Drug Administration's refusal to expedite
tacrine's approval as it did for AIDS drugs.
[8,9] Therefore, one of the most current treatments of AD is administrating acetylcholine esterase inhibitors such as
tacrine and donepezil.
Preliminary research suggests that this over-the-counter natural medicine may be as effective as donepezil and
tacrine, the medications currently used for treating AD, and there is some indication that it may offer antioxidant and neuroprotective benefits as well.
In vitro studies have shown that huperzine A's acetyl-cholinesterase-inhibiting activity exceeds that of
tacrine and galantamine, and animal studies have found that the compound has greater bioavailability and crosses the blood-brain barrier more easily than
tacrine or donepezil (Curr.
The drugs approved for use with patients with dementia are
tacrine (Cognex[R]), donepezil (Aricept[R]), rivastigmine (Exelon[R]), and galantamine (Reminyl[R]).
Aricept (donepezil) inhibits acetylcholinesterase only; Cognex (
tacrine) also inhibits butyrylcholinesterase but is no longer prescribed because it causes liver toxicity, said Dr.
The section on
tacrine is of historical interest only to the British reader grappling with the implications of donepezil.
In recent years two medications,
tacrine and donepezil, have been approved for use in AD.
Rabins: A drug called
tacrine has raised interest of late.