What are the current medications for Alzheimer's disease?

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As someone who has served as a caretaker for a family member with Alzheimer's disease, I know firsthand how difficult it can be to see a loved one affected by the disease as it worsens over time.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia, which is a general term used to describe a group of symptoms (like the loss of thinking, remembering, or reasoning) that interfere with a person's daily life. With Alzheimer's disease, dementia symptoms gradually worsen over time. There are medications available that may help manage the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease, but currently, there are no medications that cure AD.

Current medications for Alzheimer's disease

Medications that treat cognitive symptoms (memory and thinking)

Several medications are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat cognitive AD symptoms. These medications have been found in some patients to slow the worsening of symptoms temporarily and may improve their quality of life. The medications come in several delivery methods—patches worn on the skin, tablets that dissolve in the mouth, medications given into a vein, or capsules or tablets that are swallowed.

Cholinesterase inhibitors, including donepezil (Aricept), rivastigmine (Exelon), galantamine (Razadyne), and benzgalantamine (Zunveyl) are most often prescribed for mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease symptoms. They work by preventing the breakdown of acetylcholine, which is a chemical messenger important for memory and learning. Zunveyl, approved in 2024, is a prodrug of galantamine that may reduce gastric side effects, such as nausea and vomiting, while still improving AD symptoms.
Glutamate regulators, including memantine (Namenda), work by regulating glutamate which, is a chemical messenger that helps the brain process information is prescribed to treat moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease.
Combination cholinesterase inhibitor and glutamate receptor medications, such as donepezil + memantine (Namzaric) that have a dual approach for managing symptoms of moderate to severe AD.
Monoclonal antibodies, including lecanemab-irmb (Leqembi) and donanemab (Kisunla) target and remove amyloid plaques in the brain.

Medications that treat non-cognitive symptoms (behavioral and psychological symptoms)

Although medications are also available to help relieve behavioral and psychological symptoms, such as sleep disturbances, agitation, delusions and hallucinations, that may also impact the quality of life of people with AD, it is important to try non-drug strategies first.

The following medications have been approved for use in AD:

Orexin receptor agonists. Suvorexant (Belsomra) inhibits the action of the neurotransmitter orexin which is involved in the sleep-wake cycle. It is approved for treating insomnia in patients with mild to moderate AD.
Atypical antipsychotics. Brexpiprazole (Rexulti) is approved to treat agitation associated with dementia due to AD. Note that it is not approved for dementia-related psychosis without agitation that may happen due to AD.

Summary

There are currently several medications to treat the symptoms of AD. Some of these medications may be used in combination to increase the management of symptoms. Your pharmacist is an excellent resource for information about medications for AD symptoms. In addition, new research brings hope that there will soon be additional effective medications to treat AD.

What are the current medications for Alzheimer's disease?

Current medications for Alzheimer's disease

Medications that treat cognitive symptoms (memory and thinking)

Related questions

Medications that treat non-cognitive symptoms (behavioral and psychological symptoms)

Summary

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