The therapeutic potential of tacrine

Tacrine, a non-competitive inhibitor of acetylcholine esterase, has been approved for the treatment of patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease in 1995. The available evidence suggests that in a substantial proportion of patients tacrine has the potential to improve cognitive functions, to ameliorate behavioural problems, and to delay the time to significant clinical endpoints. Thus, tacrine meets realistic expectations from symptomatic treatment. The major safety concern about tacrine is the probability of liver enzyme elevations and the high frequency of adverse events, particularly gastrointestinal. Findings are presented from an open-label multicentre study showing that tacrine is a safe and manageable compound in private practice.