Identifying synergistic combinations of repurposed treatments for Alzheimer's Disease

There is considerable opportunity to fast-track novel treatments for Alzheimer's Disease (AD) through repurposing of existing licensed medications as a way of complementing ongoing drug discovery efforts. Given the complex interplay between AD neuropathological mechanisms, there is also a strong rationale that treatment benefits may be enhanced by examining combinations of treatments to identify potential synergies that would address multiple disease-modifying mechanisms. A Delphi consensus programme combined with a pragmatic analysis of primary care data has identified a series of individual and combined therapies that warrant further investigation in pre-clinical and clinical trials. These include treatments which target well-established neurodegeneration pathways and more explorative agents, including hormonal and anti-infective agents, which align to emerging hypotheses relating to endocrine and immune pathways in AD. Whilst caution is critical when considering combined therapy due to the risks of interaction and polypharmacy, this study provides valuable indications of potential synergistic drug pairs that warrant further investigation.