Aricept (also known as donepezil or E2020)

The purpose of this medication

Aricept is one of a group of drugs called "cholinesterase inhibitors" which is used to treat symptoms in people with mild to moderate and advanced Alzheimer's disease.

In the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease there is a progressive degeneration of nerve cells, particularly of the cells that make acetylcholine, a chemical thought to be important for learning and memory. People with Alzheimer's disease have lower brain levels of acetylcholine. Aricept acts by decreasing the activity of acetylcholinesterase, an enzyme whose function is to break down acetylcholine. It is believed that by reducing the breakdown of acetylcholine, it will lead to an increase in the level of acetylcholine in the brain. The potential beneficial effect could lessen as the disease progresses and when fewer cells are available to make acetylcholine.
 

How does it help?

Aricept is intended to treat symptoms in people with mild to moderate Alzheimer's
disease. In clinical trials, individuals who took the drug, compared to individuals who took a placebo (a substance which looks like the drug but has no effect), showed improvement or no further decline in cognition (including memory, orientation and language) and function (including the performance of daily activities).
 

The medication may take as long as 12 weeks to begin working, and the type and length of response to this medication will vary from person to person.

Exelon (also known as rivastigmine)

The purpose of this medication

Exelon is one of a group of drugs known as "cholinesterase inhibitors" which is used to treat symptoms in people with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease.
 

In the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease there is a progressive degeneration of nerve cells, particularly of the cells that make acetylcholine, a chemical thought to be important for learning and memory. Because of this, people with Alzheimer's disease have lower brain levels of acetylcholine. Exelon works by increasing the amount of acetylcholine in the brain. It does this by inhibiting or decreasing the activity of two cholinesterase enzymes whose function it is to breakdown acetylcholine, it will lead to an increase in the level of acetylcholine in the brain. Exelon's potential beneficial effect may lessen as the disease process advances and fewer cells are available to make acetylcholine.
 

How does it help?

Exelon is intended to treat symptoms in people with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease. In clinical trials, some individuals who took the drug, compared to individuals who took a placebo (a substance which looks like the drug but has no effect), showed improvement or no decline in their ability to perform activities of daily living, their global functioning (including behaviour) and their cognitive function (including memory), orientation and language.
 

Exelon may take as long as 12 weeks to begin working and individual response to this
medication will vary.

Reminyl ER (extended release galantamine hydrobromide)

The purpose of this medication

Reminyl ER is one of a group of drugs called "cholinesterase inhibitors" which is used to treat symptoms in people with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease.
 

In the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease there is a progressive degeneration of nerve cells, particularly of the cells that make acetylcholine, a chemical thought to be important for learning and memory. Because of this, people with Alzheimer's disease have lower brain levels of acetylcholine. It is believed that Reminyl ER works by reducing the breakdown of acetylcholine and thus increasing the amount of the chemical in the brain.
 

It has also been suggested, based on data from animal experiments, that the medication enhances
the action of acetylcholine by making the receptors it interacts with in the brain more responsive. In the region of the brain first affected by Alzheimer's disease, that dealing with cognition and memory, too little acetylcholine is available at the junctions between nerve cells to get messages across to the next nerve cell, The situation is helped, therefore, not only by preserving the acetylcholine from being destroyed by cholinesterase, but by making the receptors more responsive to the lower amounts of acetylcholine. Whether this effect is also true for humans is unknown.

The potential beneficial effect of Reminyl ER could lessen as the disease progresses and when fewer cells are available to make acetylcholine.

How does it help?

Reminyl ER is intended to treat symptoms in people with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease. In clinical trials, some individuals who took the drug, compared to individuals who took a placebo (a substance which looks like the drug but has no effect), showed some improvement or no decline in cognition (including memory, orientation and language) and global functioning (for example, the performance of daily activities such as bathing, dressing and eating).
 

The medication may take as long as 12 weeks to begin working, and the type and length of response as well as the time it takes for patients to respond to this medication will vary from person to person.

Ebixa® (also known as memantine hydrochloride)

The purpose of this medication

Ebixa has been conditionally approved by Health Canada to relieve the symptoms of people with moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease. It has been approved pending the results of further studies to verify its clinical benefit.
 

Ebixa is one of a group of drugs called NMDA (n-methyl-D-aspartate) receptor antagonists. These receptors, along with the neurotransmitter glutamate, are involved in transmitting nerve signals in the brain that may be important for learning and memory. Changes in the functioning of these receptors, or in the levels of glutamate, may affect memory and other mental functions that contribute to the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. Ebixa, which acts on NMDA receptors, might help to normalize transmission of nerve signals, and possibly slow the decline of some symptoms of Alzheimer's disease.
 

How does it help?

Ebixa is intended to treat symptoms in people with moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease. In clinical trials, individuals who took the drug when compared to individuals who took a placebo (a substance which looks like the drug but has no effect), showed stabilization or slower decline in cognition (including memory, orientation, language) and function (including performance of daily activities).

For further information on any of the above medications, please contact your doctor or pharmacist.