An international cohort of researchers has identified three existing, already approved medications that could potentially be repurposed for the treatment or prevention of Alzheimer’s disease.
This investigation, spearheaded by academics from the University of Exeter, was featured in the journal Alzheimer’s Research & Therapy. During the study, specialists reviewed 80 medications currently prescribed for other conditions to pinpoint ones that might prove effective against dementia.
The shingles vaccine (Zostavax) emerged as the top candidate. Additionally, Viagra (sildenafil) and riluzole, a medication used to treat amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), demonstrated considerable promise.
Developing a novel drug typically requires up to 15 years and incurs substantial expense. Repurposing existing, safe pharmaceuticals offers a much faster and more economical path toward discovering a dementia treatment.
All three selected agents were chosen because they target biological pathways implicated in Alzheimer’s disease:
The shingles vaccine modulates the immune system. Prior studies indicated that vaccinated individuals exhibit a 16% reduced risk of developing dementia.
In laboratory mouse models, sildenafil shielded neurons, mitigated the buildup of toxic tau protein, and enhanced memory function.
Similarly, riluzole demonstrated an ability to lower tau protein levels and improve cognitive performance in animal testing.
Although these findings are encouraging, experts caution restraint. The researchers stress that large-scale human clinical trials are essential to definitively confirm the efficacy of these drugs against Alzheimer’s disease. Efforts are presently underway in the UK to arrange such trials.
Several other drugs made it onto the shortlist but did not meet the criteria to be classified as “priority candidates.” These included fingolimod (used for multiple sclerosis), vortioxetine (prescribed for major depressive disorder), dasatinib (used in leukemia treatment), and cytisine (utilized in anesthesia).
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