Index for
slide deck
Introduction
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) Treatment principles
Alzheimer’s disease is a neurodegenerative disease
Medical treatment of Alzheimer’s disease
Medical treatment of Alzheimer’s disease
Symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease
Medical treatment of Alzheimer’s disease
Medical treatment of Alzheimer’s disease: Disease-modifying
Medical treatment of Alzheimer’s disease: Regenerative
Therapeutic approaches to AD can be divided into three categories: symptomatic, disease-modifying and regenerative. In 2021, aducanumab received accelerated US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for the treatment of AD.2 In 2023, lecanemab received accelerated FDA approval for the…
Current approaches to Alzheimer’s disease management
Pharmacological treatment of Alzheimer’s disease
Pharmacological treatment of Alzheimer’s disease
Treatment goals of symptomatic treatment for Alzheimer’s disease
As a key goal for managing cognitive impairment is an improvement in cognition, the availability of symptomatic treatments for AD is important.2 Additionally, improvement of behavioural symptoms can impact the quality of life of patients and caregivers, and may delay…
Treatment with cholinesterase inhibitors
Currently, the main available treatment of cognitive and behavioural symptoms in AD involves enhancement of cholinergic neurotransmission using cholinesterase inhibitors.3 There are currently three cholinergic-based drugs that represent the standard of care for AD.3 The use of these treatments is…
Treatment with NMDA receptor antagonists
The main neurotransmitter in the brain is glutamate.7,8 Overstimulation of the glutamatergic system may result in neuronal damage, known as excitotoxicity, which subsequently results in neuronal calcium overload.9 Included in the many postsynaptic receptors stimulated by glutamate are the NMDA…
Treatment goals of disease-modifying treatments
As of August 2023, there are two FDA approved DMTs available for the treatment of AD.4,5 Aducanumab, the first novel therapy approved for AD since 2003, is a monoclonal antibody selective for aggregated forms of amyloid-b.4,6 Since its discovery, several…
Several DMTs are being investigated
There are currently several DMTs under investigation.1 As of 2023, 44% of DMTs under investigation were biologics and 56% were small molecules.1 29% of the agents target neurotransmitters (including cognitive enhancers, and drugs being developed to reduce NPS), 17% target…
Current DMTs are targeting amyloid pathology
Several AD therapies under investigation target Aβ or its aggregates and can generally be divided into four therapeutic aims: 1) to reduce Aβ generation; 2) to enhance degradation and clearance of Aβ and its aggregates; 3) to neutralize soluble Aβ…
