{"id":5553,"date":"2018-04-22T19:51:22","date_gmt":"2018-04-22T19:51:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/braintest.com\/?post_type=kbe_knowledgebase&p=5553"},"modified":"2020-03-09T22:51:08","modified_gmt":"2020-03-09T22:51:08","slug":"drugs-approved-treat-alzheimers","status":"publish","type":"kbe_knowledgebase","link":"https:\/\/braintest.com\/drugs-approved-treat-alzheimers\/","title":{"rendered":"What Drugs Are Approved to Treat Alzheimer\u2019s?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Although th<\/span>ere is\u00a0currently no cure for Alzheimer\u2019s, various medications are still available. These drugs target specific symptoms and help to improve a patient\u2019s quality of life. In some cases, these medications can lead to improvements that last several years.<\/span><\/p>\n

Currently, there are five FDA-approved drugs. These include donepezil, galantamine, memantine, rivastigmine, as well as donepezil with memantine.<\/p>\n

Over the coming weeks, we will highlight each of these in greater detail.<\/p>\n

Different Drugs for Different Stages<\/b><\/h1>\n

Since Alzheimer\u2019s is a progressive disease, patients experience different stages. These range from mild to severe based on a number of variables. These stages not only differ in terms of their symptoms but also in how they are treated.<\/p>\n

Of course, these \u2018stages\u2019 are not exact. One patient may showcase unique symptoms in comparison to another patient, which\u00a0is why a personalized treatment plan is often required.\u00a0<\/p>\n

However, in terms of drugs listed above, they tend to be prescribed based on what they were approved for. Donepezil, for instance, is approved for all stages whereas memantine is approved for the more moderate to severe stages.<\/p>\n

How These Drugs Work<\/b><\/h2>\n

Classified into two key groups, these five medications can be categorized into cholinesterase inhibitors and memantine. These drugs are able to treat different symptoms based on how they influence the brain and alter key neurotransmitters.<\/p>\n