Alzheimer's

Question 1

The Alzheimer’s drug that Axovant Sciences Inc. is putting through a phase 3 clinical trial (in 2017) is called…

Answer 1

Intepirdine, or RVT-101

Question 2

Intepirdine (RVT-101) is going through a phase 3 clinical trial to confirm its use as an adjunctive therapy to what other Alzheimer’s drug?

Answer 2

donepezil

Question 3

The best-selling drug used for palliative treatment of Alzheimer’s disease is:

Answer 3

Aricept (donepezil)

Question 4

What’s the generic name for the palliative Alzheimer’s drug Aricept?

Answer 4

Donepezil

Question 5

Development of the palliative Alzheimer’s drug Aricept (donepezil) was started in 1983 by ____.

Answer 5

Eisai

Question 6

Aricept (donepezil) was approved by the FDA in 1996 and is co-marketed by its original developer, ____, and ____ (as well as generics starting in 2010).

Answer 6

Eisai, Pfizer

Question 7

What type of drug is Aricept (donepezil)?

Answer 7

An acetylcholinesterase inhibitor

Question 8

How many medications are currently (2017) used to treat Alzheimer’s, and what are their types?

Answer 8

5, of which 4 are AChE inhibitors and 1 is an NMDA receptor antagonist

Question 9

What are the four acetylcholinesterase inhibitors approved for treating the cognitive problems of Alzheimer’s?

Answer 9

tacrine (discontinued in USA since 2013 for safety)
rivastigmine (Novartis, 1997)
galantamine (generic alkaloid)
donepezil (Pfizer and Eisai, 1996)

Question 10

What is the odd one out among the five approved Alzheimer’s medications?

Answer 10

Memantine is an NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) antagonist, unlike the other 4 Alzheimer’s drugs, which are AChEIs. Memantine thus acts on the glutamatergic system.

Question 11

The NMDA antagonist memantine was developed in 1968 by ____, originally as a potential treatment for ____.

Answer 11

Eli Lilly and Company; diabetes

Question 12

Memantine was synthesized at Eli Lilly in 1968 as a potential diabetes treatment. Its Alzheimer’s-related NMDA activity was discovered in which decade?

Answer 12

1980s

Question 13

What cognitive diseases is the NMDA antagonist memantine most effective?

Answer 13

Mild to moderate Alzheimer’s; dementia with Lewy bodies. There is little evidence of effect on mild Alzheimer’s.

Question 14

What is the most common early symptom of Alzheimer’s disease?

Answer 14

Short-term memory loss

Question 15

What is the average life expectancy following diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease?

Answer 15

3–9 years

Question 16

What percentage of Alzheimer’s risk is believed to be genetic?

Answer 16

70%

Question 17

Name three non-genetic risk factors of Alzheimer’s disease.

Answer 17

History of head injuries
Depression
Hypertension

Question 18

Approximately how many people were living with an Alzheimer’s diagnosis in 2015?

Answer 18

48 million

Question 19

What is the prevalence of Alzheimer’s in people 65 and over?

Answer 19

about 6%