Name:	Memantine
Other Names:	Ebixa™, Namenda™
Therapeutic Applications:	cognition/memory enhancement
Therapy Types:	pharmacological
Mechanisms:	NMDA receptor antagonist
Development Status:	approved in U.S.
FDA Phase:	FDA approved
Primary Medical Role:	Approved for the treatment of moderately severe to severe AD in EU in May 2002 and in US in October 2003.
Role in Alzheimer's Disease:	Improves cognitive, social and motor impairment. See Live Discussion: Memantine: Implications for Treating Alzheimer's led by Steven T. DeKosky and Bengt Winblad.
Pharmacological Role:	Excessive activation of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors may underlie the degeneration of cholinergic cells. Memantine is a fast, voltage-dependent NMDA- receptor antagonist. It blocks the NMDA receptor in the presence of sustained release of low glutamate concentrations and thus attenuate NMDA receptor function.
Side Effects:	The most frequently reported adverse events were dizziness (7%), headache(6%), and constipation(6%).
Evidence pro its efficacy:	Two clinical trials showed 60-70% therapy response rate, with minimal side effects, in mild-to-moderate AD. A 28- week, multicenter clinical trial of patients with moderately severe to severe AD demonstrated a significant benefit of memantine over placebo on measures of overall function and cognition.
Dosage:	Orally at a recommended dose of 10 mg BID following a four- week titration.
Companies:	Merz + Co.
Notes:	H. Lundbeck A/S holds marketing rights of memantine for certain European markets, Canada, Australia, and South Africa, and under the brand name Ebixa. Forest Laboratories, Inc. holds the rights to memantine for the U.S. market under the name Namenda; and Suntory, Ltd. for the Japan market. For more information on Memantine, see memantine.com and namemda.com. Related news stories: 1 Mar 2002, 25 Sep 2002, 2 Oct 2002, 9 Apr 2003, 25 Sep 2003

References

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Livingston G, Katona C. The place of memantine in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease: a number needed to treat analysis. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2004 Oct ;19(10):919- 25. Abstract

Periclou AP, Ventura D, Sherman T, Rao N, Abramowitz WT. Lack of Pharmacokinetic or Pharmacodynamic Interaction Between Memantine and Donepezil (September). Ann Pharmacother. 2004 Sep ; 38(9):1389-94. Abstract

Doody, R, Wirth, Y, Schmitt, F, Möbius, HJ. Specific Functional Effects of Memantine Treatment in Patients with Moderate to Severe Alzheimer's Disease. Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord. 2004 ; 18(2):227-32. Abstract

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