Alzheimer disease: current therapy and future therapeutic strategies

Antidementia drugs can be defined as drugs that significantly improve the decreased cognitive functions and/or inhibit the progression of dementia, compared with placebo. The main target of antidementia drugs is Alzheimer disease (AD), and the advent of such drugs is ardently desired. Antidementia drugs that are currently in use or undergoing trial are briefly reviewed. To date, only a few acetylcholine esterase inhibitors have been licensed as antidementia drugs for AD, but more beneficial drugs are being actively sought by many different approaches. The development of additional drugs requires greater basic research on the pathogenesis of AD. Future therapeutic strategies for AD on the basis of recent findings concerning the pathogenesis of AD are also reviewed.