Alzheimer’s studies are progressing all of the time, and we need them to, considering that experts predict this illness could impact as many as 13 million individuals by 2050. As the population ages, Alzheimer’s certainly looks set to take a bigger toll. But, a deep dive into Alzheimer’s research right now suggests that we shouldn’t despair about that fact just yet.
Right now, Alzheimer’s drugs serve only to lessen symptom severity but, according to Mayo Clinic, scientists still remain hopeful of discovering drugs that could eventually stop disease progression altogether. Keep on reading to find out more.
What Alzheimer’s Drugs Are Currently Available?
The FDA has approved several Alzheimer’s drug treatments and, while none of these can actively cure the disease, they do serve to minimize or even modify symptoms. It’s possible to break existing approved treatments into a range of key categories, which are:
- Symptomatic treatments: Symptomatic treatments, including cholinesterase inhibitors such as donepezil serve to minimize the severity of Alzheimer’s symptoms such as confusion and forgetfulness.
- Disease-modifying treatments: Disease-modifying drugs like benzgalantamine, which was FDA-approved as recently as 2024, aim to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s by targeting and removing underlying causes, such as amyloid plaques.
- Lifestyle Changes: Experts also recommend key lifestyle changes to help slow the progression of Alzheimer’s, including healthy eating, regular exercise, and avoidance of head injuries.
Is There any Potential for a Drug-Based Cure?
There’s certainly no prospect of a drug-based Alzheimer’s cure anytime soon, but experts remain hopeful. Scientists in the field right now are especially positive that, in the future, a combination of medicines, much like those used by patients with HIV, could prove effective.
The latest studies particularly center around focuses such as:
- Beta-amyloid ‘plaque’ treatments: Clumps of the protein beta-amyloid are characteristic in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients, and the FDA has already approved lecanemab and donanemab, both of which target these clumps to slow disease progression.
- Restarting synapsis: A trial drug called saracatinib, which was initially developed as a cancer treatment, is being trialled for Alzheimer’s since it turned off a protein that allowed synapses to start working again in mice, leading to memory loss reversals.
- Untangling: A protein called tau, which has been linked to Alzheimer’s, creates what’s known as ‘tangles’ in the brain as it twists into tiny fibers that can cause vital brain cell transport systems to collapse. Studies into Tau aggregation inhibitors or vaccines are currently ongoing.
- Heart-head connection: Several studies are exploring the link between Alzheimer’s and heart health, with researchers particularly considering whether blood pressure medicines could help Alzheimer’s patients.
- Continuing to address symptoms: Scientists also continue to trial symptomatic experimental drugs like coluracetam for cognitive performance enhancement, improved memory, and more, which will be vital alongside the more targeted treatments offered by the other drugs mentioned.
While these theories are still very much in the research stage, advancements like the FDA’s recent Alzheimer’s drug approvals suggest that we could well see a drug-based cure at some point in the future.
