Rivastigmine
is a drug used for
treatment of symptoms associated with Alzheimer's
disease. It was approved by the US Food
and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2000 and is currently
marketed by Novartis Pharmaceuticals under the brand name
of Exelon.
Rivastigmine works to increase the level
of acetylcholine
in the brain. Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter
which is important for learning and memory;
one feature of AD is a reduction in brain levels of acetylcholine.
Like the other currently-available AD drugs, tacrine
(trade name Cognex), donepezil
(trade name Aricept) and galantamine
(trade name Reminyl), rivastigmine is a cholinesterase
inhibitor, meaning that it acts to inhibit the enzymes
which break down unused acetylcholine; the result is that
existing acetylcholine survives longer and is more effective.
by Catherine E. Myers. Copyright © 2006 Memory Loss and the Brain |
