Cited by 122Alzheimer's disease research and treatmentsCholinesterase and Neurodegenerative DiseasesDementia and Cognitive Impairment Research

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 84 of the 85 references it cites were found in a registry or an index; none of the 74 sources its claims cite is checked for support yet.

An update on the novel and approved drugs for Alzheimer disease

Open access
Alhazmi, Hassan Ahmad, Albratty, Mohammed·2022·Saudi Pharmaceutical Journal

Abstract

Given the severity of the condition and the increasing number of patients, developing effective therapies for Alzheimer's disease has become a significant necessity. Aggregation of Amyloid-Beta (Aβ) plaques and Tau Protein Tangles in the brain's nerve tissue are two of the most histopathological/pathophysiological symptoms. Another important element involved in the etiology of Alzheimer's disease is the reduction in acetylcholine (ACh) levels in the brain. Currently available medications for Alzheimer's disease treatment, such as cholinesterase inhibitors and an antagonist of the N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor, can temporarily reduce dementia symptoms but not stop or reverse disease development. In addition, several medicinal plants have been shown to diminish the degenerative characteristics associated with Alzheimer's disease, either in its crude form or as isolated chemicals. This review summarises the results from previous studies that reflect an array of novel therapies underway in various phases of clinical trials. Many are discontinued due to non-adherence to the designed endpoints or the surfacing of unavoidable side effects. The present piece of article focuses on the approved drugs for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease and their related mode of action as well as the promising therapies for the treatment of the said disease. Special attention has been placed on the researched herbal drugs, with the pipeline of novel therapies underway in various phases of clinical trials. The current article includes a list of approved pharmaceuticals for treating Alzheimer's disease, prospective therapies for the illness's treatment, and a pipeline of novel therapies in various stages of clinical trials. The results suggest that the drugs under clinical trials may open new pathways for the effective treatment of patients with Alzheimer's disease while improving their quality of life.

Overview

AI snapshot

Written from the paper’s full text.

TL;DR

This narrative review summarizes FDA-approved Alzheimer disease drugs—acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, memantine, and aducanumab—alongside investigational anti-amyloid, chelation, natural-product, and clinical-trial pipeline therapies. It concludes that approved drugs mainly provide symptomatic or temporary benefit, while many trial agents have failed or been discontinued, though ongoing trials may open new treatment pathways.

Key findings

  • Approved therapies include donepezil and rivastigmine for mild, moderate, and severe AD; galantamine for mild to moderate AD; and memantine, an NMDA antagonist, for moderate to severe AD. Aducanumab received FDA accelerated approval on June 7, 2021 as an anti-amyloid monoclonal antibody.
  • Anti-amyloid pipeline setbacks are prominent: BACE inhibitor trials with lanabecestat, verubecestat, and atabecestat were terminated due to lack of efficacy or safety concerns; γ-secretase inhibitors are no longer regarded as a suitable target because of major safety concerns.
  • In active immunization, ABvac40 generated Aβ40-specific antibodies in 92% of injected participants in a phase 1 trial; GV-971 was reported in a phase 3 study to have significant cognitive benefits in mild to severe AD.
  • The review states that 40 million individuals are expected to suffer from dementia globally, with this figure predicted to double every 2 decades until around 2050. Table 1 lists herbal compounds such as berberine, curcumin, epigallocatechin-3-gallate, ginsenoside Rg1, catalpol, genistein, crocin, and huperzine A, with proposed antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-amyloid, or cholinesterase-inhibitory effects.

Methods

  • Narrative review; no systematic search strategy, inclusion/exclusion criteria, quality appraisal, or meta-analysis is stated.
  • The paper summarizes prior studies and clinical trials, including Table 1 of herbal compounds for AD treatment and Table 2 of novel drugs in various clinical-trial phases with NCT numbers and statuses.
  • Main analysis is a narrative synthesis of approved drug mechanisms, potential therapeutic approaches (anti-amyloid therapy, chelation therapy, natural drugs), and novel agents in clinical trials.

Limitations

  • The paper states that many AD trials are discontinued due to non-adherence to designed endpoints or unavoidable side effects, and it notes a high percentage of failed AD clinical trials; it does not state limitations of the review itself.
  • Evident from the text: as a narrative review, it lacks a systematic search and risk-of-bias assessment, relies on selected cited studies, and includes incomplete table entries (for example, IIdalopirdine phase 3 lacks trial number and status).

Model-written summary. Check it against the paper before relying on it.

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1016/j.jsps.2022.10.004

Cites

84 of 84 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Nothing to recompute.

Figures

Fig. 1 Pathophysiological features of Alzheimer’s disease.
Fig. 1 Pathophysiological features of Alzheimer’s disease.CC BY-NC-ND · PubMed Central
Fig. 2 Representation of Tau Protein tangles.
Fig. 2 Representation of Tau Protein tangles.CC BY-NC-ND · PubMed Central
Fig. 3 Conventional class of drugs for the treatment of AD.
Fig. 3 Conventional class of drugs for the treatment of AD.CC BY-NC-ND · PubMed Central

Verification

Claims the paper makes

71 Not checked yet · 3 Own interpretation · 1 No basis given

Verify all 74 references — free account

Show all 35 claims

  • Probably not a substantial claim. 5
  • It may state two separate claims as one. 36
40 of 40
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Extracellular amyloid plaques and intracellular Tau neurofibrillary tangles are the most common histopathologic lesions in Alzheimer's disease.

    “Extracellular amyloid plaques and intracellular Tau neurofibrillary tangles are the most common histopathologic lesions in AD.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Both cholinergic and glutamatergic neurochemical systems are involved in the genesis of Alzheimer's disease.

    “There is pertinent evidence to support the fact that that both cholinergic and glutamatergic neurochemical systems are involved in the genesis of AD.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Acetylcholine concentration and function are reduced in the brains of Alzheimer's disease sufferers.

    “Both concentration and function are reduced in brains of AD sufferers.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    The cholinergic theory of Alzheimer's disease is supported by impairment and other presynaptic cholinergic limitations, such as loss of cholinergic neural network and diminished acetylcholinesterase activity.

    “The cholinergic theory of AD is supported by this impairment and other presynaptic cholinergic limitations, such as loss of cholinergic neural network and diminished acetylcholinesterase activity.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Acetylcholinesterase action is enhanced in Alzheimer's disease patients, which contributes to higher acetylcholine breakdown and decreased acetylcholine concentrations in the brain.

    “The action of acetylcholinesterase is enhanced in AD patients, which contributes to higher acetylcholine breakdown and decreased acetylcholine concentrations in the brain.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Currently available medications for Alzheimer's disease treatment, such as cholinesterase inhibitors and an antagonist of the N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor, can temporarily reduce dementia symptoms but not stop or reverse disease development.

    “Currently available medications for Alzheimer's disease treatment, such as cholinesterase inhibitors and an antagonist of the N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor, can temporarily reduce dementia symptoms but not stop or reverse disease development.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Currently available treatments for Alzheimer's disease, such as cholinesterase inhibitors and the N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor antagonist, can temporarily reduce psychiatric symptoms but cannot stop or cure the progression of the disease.

    “Currently available treatments for AD, such as cholinesterase inhibitors and the N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor antagonist, can temporarily reduce psychiatric symptoms but not stop or cure the progression of the disease.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Many international pharmaceutical companies have conducted numerous clinical trials of amyloid-cleansing treatments for Alzheimer's disease, but none have been successful.

    “From an amyloid perspective, many international pharmaceutical companies have conducted numerous clinical trials in the treatment based on amyloid cleansing, but none have been successful.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    A high percentage of Alzheimer's disease clinical trials on therapeutics have failed.

    “Considering the recent knowledge of a high percentage of failed AD clinical trials on therapeutics, more recent trials appear to be bolstered by the convergence of advances in AD biomarkers, the positioning of a single primary outcome and fabrication of novel trial designs.”
9 of 9

Claims other papers make about this one

Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

Self-check

Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.

Each contradiction between two passages listed here was confirmed by an independent check.

3 of 3

Citations

Cites

Show all 85 references

Cited by

Sorted by citations

Metadata

Authors
Alhazmi, H. A., & Albratty, M.
Affiliations
Jazan University (SA)
Corresponding author
Albratty, Mohammed
Venue
Saudi Pharmaceutical Journal
Published
2022-12
Volume
30
Issue
12
Pages
1755-1764
ISSN
1319-0164 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W4304687787
Cited by
122
References
85
Citations by year
2026: 24 · 2025: 38 · 2024: 43 · 2023: 17
FWCI
3.37
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Saudi Pharmaceutical Journal (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Alzheimer's disease research and treatments
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology (medical) › Cholinesterase and Neurodegenerative Diseases
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research
Keywords
Alzheimer's disease, approved drugs, new drugs, amyloid plaques, acetylcholine deficiency, cholinesterase inhibitors, NMDA receptor antagonists, herbal drugs, medicinal plants, drug development pipeline, clinical trials, mechanism of action

About these checks

Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

A language model drew the claims from the paper on 2026-10-10, under version 3 of the claim definition (model deepseek-v4.1-flash, prompt extract-v3).

A second model labelled each claim on 2026-10-10 (model jev-1.13-20260917, definition revision gold-guideline-v0.2).

Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.

Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.

What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›

Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review