Drug Development.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Phenserine, an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, enhances brain acetylcholine.
• Posiphen, its enantiomer, reduces beta-amyloid by inhibiting APP translation.
• Both drugs are investigated for Alzheimer's disease treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review the efficacy and safety of Posiphen and Phenserine.
• To evaluate their impact on cognitive function and Alzheimer's disease biomarkers.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of Medline (PubMed) and Lilacs/VHL databases.
• Searched for "posiphen" or "buntanetap" or "ANVS401" AND "Alzheimer Disease".
• Included observational studies and clinical trials published in English/Spanish within the last 15 years; excluded animal models and studies lacking quantitative data.

Main Results:

• Seven studies were included; most showed cognitive improvement with Posiphen.
• Cognitive benefits correlated with reduced Alzheimer's biomarkers (sAPPα, sAPPβ, Tau) and neuroinflammation markers (C3, YKL40).
• Phenserine improved cognition, particularly attention; adverse effects were mainly nausea/vomiting. Posiphen had more varied side effects.

Conclusions:

• Phenserine and Posiphen may improve cognition and reduce Alzheimer's biomarkers and neuroinflammation.
• Small sample sizes and dosage variability limit current findings' generalizability.
• Larger trials with standardized protocols are necessary to confirm efficacy.