Rejected Alzheimer's drug latrepirdine shows new potential in early disease

An international team of scientists led by researchers at Mount Sinai School Medicine have discovered that a drug that had previously yielded conflicting results in clinical trials for Alzheimer's disease effectively stopped the progression of memory deterioration and brain pathology in mouse models of early stage Alzheimer's disease. The findings, published July 31, 2012 in Molecular Psychiatry, demonstrate renewed potential for this compound and could lead to clinical trials in patients with early stages of the disease.

Latrepirdine, known commercially as Dimebon, was initially sold as an antihistamine in Russia, approved for use there in 1983. Drugs behemoth Pfizer and partner Medivation finally pulled the plug on developing Dimebon for Alzheimer’s early this year, after late-stage clinical trial failures (The Pharma Letter January 18).

In the 1990s, researchers at the Institute of Physiologically Active Compounds in Moscow determined that the compound appeared effective in treating Alzheimer's disease in animals. They continued their research in humans and performed several studies, including Phase I and II trials, all of which showed significant and sustained improvement in cognitive behavior with minimal side effects. The Phase II trials, performed in Russia, were overseen by US Alzheimer's researchers, including Mary Sano, Director of the Mount Sinai Alzheimer's Disease Research Center.