To be realistic, it is worthy to mention the fact that there is no cure against Alzheimer’s disease (AD) nowadays. Furthermore, all the present medications offer very modest benefits or improvements for patients, since they can only slow down but not prevent or reverse mental degradation of a patient with Alzheimer’s disease. On the other hand, since the disorder affects core metal and physical functions, such as memory and thinking, even the small improvements are worthwhile.
In mild to moderate cases of Alzheimer’s disease, acetyl cholinesterase inhibitors are usually prescribed. Galantamine is one of four currently approved AD medications of the mentioned class. Galantamine is available on the market as the generic medicine from different producers and it is also sold under the brand-name Razadyne ER by Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals.
It is interesting to note that galantamine was initially derived from the flowers of Caucasian snowdrop, carrying a reputation of the first flowers to bloom in spring right after the snow melt. In 1959 the active ingredient was isolated by a Bulgarian professor, and turned into a natural-based remedy against poliomyelitis. Later the scientists from Janssen Pharmaceuticals discovered new properties of galantamine for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.
Razadyne ER (extended-release capsules) is an improved version of Razadyne, which offers the benefits of once-per-day use. The difference is that while Razadyne releases its active ingredient immediately after taking the pill, Razadyne ER does it gradually over a period of 24 hours. As the result, instead of taking pills several times per day in order to maintain proper concentration of the medicine in the blood, with Razadyne ER one takes only one pill a day. By the way, for those patients, who experience problems with pills swallowing, Razadyne is available in the form of oral solution.
The medication works in the similar way with other acetyl cholinesterase inhibitors, such as Exelon or Aricept. Its main goal is to slow down the breakdown and consequently to increase the concentration of specific substance in the human brains, called acetylcholine. The lack of this substance is correlated with the impairment of cognitive functions and development of amyloid plaques in the human brains.
Speaking about the effectiveness of Razadyne it is important to stay realistic without expecting too much from the medication. Clinical trials showed that less than half of the patients react positively on the therapy with acetylcholinesterase drugs. In general, it is believed that the patients, who respond well to Razadyne, may slow down the progression of the disorder for about 6-12 months. However, since there is still no better medication against Alzheimer’s disease, even a small improvement could be significant.
The safety of Razadyne is also very similar to analogue drugs Exelon and Aricept. The most common side effects are nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Less frequently anorexia and weight decrease are reported. It is important to keep in mind that Razadyne and Exelon are prescribed only for mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease, while Aricept was approved for the use at any stage of the disorder.
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